Pokémon: Bonds and Whispers
by Shadow1001
Summary: Ash Ketchum is a very skilled trainer, being able to defeat legendary Pokemon. It would be a shame for all that talent to go to waste, so he goes to the Unova Region. Ash will use his past experiences to get him through Unova and maybe even win the league. Rewrite of the Unova saga with differences. Othelloshipping AshxHilda.
1. Surprise! Welcome to Unova

**Whoever has decided to click on this story, and if you do read it, and finish this chapter, and actually somewhat liked it, then please read the author's note at the end. Thank you and enjoy!**

"Latios! Luster Purge!"

"Pikachu! Use Volt Tackle!"

The stadium was quiet as they watched intensely at the two Pokémon, attacking each other at full force. The attack hit the Pikachu in midair, but gasps were heard when they all saw the Pikachu continue its charge towards the Latios, through the Luster Purge.

Pikachu was starting to close in on Latios. That was when Pikachu's trainer gave a sudden command.

"Now! Use Iron Tail!"

The Latios noticed Pikachu a second too late and soon there was an explosion. Smoke everywhere and the crowd was silent, wondering the outcome. The smoke cleared and in the center of the battlefield were both the Latios and Pikachu, unconscious.

There was only silence until everyone realized what this meant.

"Pikachu and Latios are both unable to battle! All 6 of Ash's Pokémon have been eliminated! So moving on to the finals is Tobias the victor!"

* * *

"Ash? Are you awake?" Ash opened his eyes and found himself staring at himself. It had been a whole month since the Sinnoh League. He was currently wearing a dark blue and white hoodie and black jeans. He also had a red and white cap that was somehow able to contain the messy forest of hair he had on his head. He hadn't worn a hoodie since he travelled through Hoenn and Kanto. His mother had told him that today was an exciting new day and made him a new set of clothes for today.

"Yeah, I'm awake!" Ash replied to his mother and opened the door of his room to see his mother standing in front of the door. In his mother's arms was Pikachu, his best friend ever since he started his Pokémon journey four years ago. Pikachu jumped out of his mother's arms and onto his shoulder.

"Ash sweetie! That looks so good on you! Hold on, let me get my camera!" In an instant Ash's mother was gone. Ash and Pikachu sweat dropped as they shared a glance. Before they knew it, Ash's mother returned and had her camera. "Alright, now both of you look at the camera!" Ash and Pikachu shared another glance and looked at the camera lens, smiling. The two were soon blinded by the sudden flash of light. "Aww, my sweet little Ashy boy and his Pikachu. You both are growing up so fast."

After rubbing his eyes trying to get rid of the flashing spots, he looked at his mother. "So what's so special about today mom?"

Ash's mom turned around and started to leave. "You'll have to find out."

Ash turned his head towards Pikachu while following his mother. "Do you have any idea of where we're going?" Pikachu simply shook his head. Ash smiled and exited his house, making sure to lock the door. He was surprised at what he saw in front of his house. "Mom, when did you get a car?" In front of Ash was a car. As if you expected something else.

"I bought it a few days ago. I don't use it much though. I prefer walking but for days like today it's useful," Ash's mother walked to the driver's seat and entered the car.

Ash walked to the spot next to the driver's and entered. "You still haven't told me where we're going or what we're doing."

"So impatient. Just wait Ash." Ash's mother pressed the pedal and soon they were off. Ash recognized the route they were going through. It was the road to Viridian City, except for vehicles. The route Ash took when he started his journey was Route 1, where there were wild Pokémon and it was more forest-like. Soon they were in Viridian City which had expanded ever since Ash visited it last when he travelled through Kanto for the second time.

Ash took the drive to reflect on his journeys, or rather his most recent one. Sinnoh. Sinnoh was his longest journey and by far the biggest region he's been to. He also met so many people and gained plenty of rivals. He also made it to the Top 4 in the Sinnoh League, the farthest he has ever gotten in a Regional League. He triumphed over the harmonious Nando, the perfectionist Conway, and his greatest moment: his rival Paul.

That battle was considered to be the biggest battle of the entire Sinnoh League. It was a battle Ash had been fighting for months, both with Pokémon and beliefs, losing every time. So to finally come out on top, Ash felt like he achieved more than just a placement in the brackets. But the next battle was against a trainer with a Legendary Pokémon. The Pokémon that creates nightmares, had crushed his hopes and dreams right then. But when Ash along with Sceptile had broken through the nightmare and defeated the Pitch-Black Pokémon, the thing that came next surprised every person in the stadium. He had a Latios.

"Ash! Hurry or you'll miss your flight!" Ash's mother's distressed voice rang out, snapping Ash back to reality.

"Flight?" Ash looked around and noticed they were at the new Viridian airport. "Wait, mom, where am I going?"

Ash stepped out of the car and to the back of the car where his mother was. "Here Ash!" She tossed him a black and blue messenger bag and a wallet. "That wallet has your plane ticket. Now go quickly!" Ash's mother was now pushing him towards the airport.

Ash was just confused. "Wait, mom what's going on!?"

"Your flight is going to leave soon Ash! Just go and you'll find out!" Ash's mother hugged him and rubbed Pikachu's head. "Pikachu, take good care of Ash okay?" Pikachu let out a cry and Ash's mother quickly entered her car and drove off.

Ash stared at where his mother drove off then at Pikachu. "What just happened?" Pikachu shrugged. Ash placed the messenger bag's strap around his right shoulder so the bag was hanging on his right side. Ash then checked his wallet. It had cash, a debit card, some id, and a ticket.

Ash inspected the plane ticket. It had a number on it, his seat number, and his name. But nothing about the location he was going to. "Well Pikachu? Should we go?" Pikachu nodded and Ash shrugged. He entered the terminal and found his plane. "Wonder where mom is sending us." Pikachu replied with his usual cry.

When they found their seat, Ash decided to see what his mother packed for him in his bag. "Let's see. Some Pokémon food and a recipe book. Probably courtesy of Brock. Um, what is this? 'Trans-Coupon'? Looks like a coupon for a watch. Looks like a Poketch. Some clothes, some potions, a map!" Ash flipped open the electronic map, and finally found out where he was going. "We're going to Unova Pikachu."

Pikachu tilted his head. "Pika?"

"I have no idea. But we'll be landing in a place called Nuvema Town. My mom marked a place .on the map so I think that's where we should go." Ash put the map back into his bag and continued to look through it. There was nothing else in his bag so Ash closed his bag and looked outside the plane window. The plane started to ascend into the sky.

"Wow Pikachu! Look at all the flying types!" Ash and Pikachu stared in awe at all the flying type Pokémon that were in the sky. Ash had been to many places, underground, inside volcanos, deep forests, even underwater. But he has never been above the clouds before. He's flown on different flying type Pokémon, but never above the clouds. Above the clouds was a flying type paradise.

"I wish I could join them," a Starly flew by his window. Ash and Pikachu waved. The Starly opened its mouth and said what Ash presumed as hello, though Ash and Pikachu couldn't hear it because of the window. The Starly soon flew away to its flock. "I wonder what the Unova Region is like," Ash wondered, looking at his buddy.

Pikachu only shrugged before snuggling into Ash's lap, falling asleep. Ash let out a chuckle before going back to looking outside the window, amazed at all the flying type Pokémon. He could even see a Dragonite in the distance.

* * *

It was a couple of hours until the plane landed. Ash carefully scooped up Pikachu and exited the plane. Pikachu started to stir by the time Ash stepped out of the terminal. "Awake?' Pikachu stretched and nodded before climbing up back to his place on Ash's shoulder. "Great. Now then," Ash pulled out his electronic map. "There's a place that mom marked not too far from here. So let's go there." Ash blinked as he saw something fly by him. It was a Pokémon, a small grey bird. But Ash can't remember ever seeing a Pokémon like it before. It kind of looked like a Starly, though more grey and had a smaller beak.

Ash decided to continue towards the destination, noticing more of the birds. He was no certain that he had never encountered a Pokémon like it before. It wasn't long until he made it to the marked destination.

"Juniper Laboratory," Ash read aloud. He looked at Pikachu before entering, as the doors were glass and he felt knocking wasn't the best idea. Besides, if it was a laboratory, then there was no need to knock.

"Hello?" Ash called out. There was no one in sight. Ash was about to leave until he heard a voice.

"Oh I'm sorry! Can I help you?" Ash turned around and saw a young-looking woman. She was wearing a white shirt and a green skirt with a long lab coat.

"Ah, sorry. I was just wondering, um," Ash had no idea how to say this. He just decided on introducing himself. "I'm Ash Ketchum from Kanto and I was wondering-"

"Oh! You're Ash? I'm sorry, I forgot you were arriving today!" Ash blinked. Apparently this woman knew he would be here before he did. "Please, follow me." Ash shared a glance at Pikachu and followed.

They entered a room with a bed and a desk. That was all the room had to offer. "Here, you can stay here for the night. I know it's not much, but it's all I have right now." The woman turned towards Ash and gave him a smile. "Anyways, I am Aurea Juniper, the Professor of the Unova Region. It's nice to meet you Ash."

"Same here. Um, if you don't mind, can you explain to me what's going on? My mom just sent me here without telling me anything." Ash was really hoping to get some answers at last.

"Of course, follow me," Ash followed Juniper to another room. This room had a lot of monitors in it. "I think it's best if you hear everything from the perpetrators themselves." Juniper pressed a button and soon two familiar faces were on the main monitor.

"Mom! Professor Oak!" Ash exclaimed. The two chuckled at his expression.

"Hello Ash. How are you enjoying Unova so far?" Oak asked.

Ash rolled his eyes. "Everything's great Professor. So mom, can you tell me what's going on?" His mom and Oak looked at each other.

"Ash, sweetie. Every time you come home, what do you do?"

Ash thought about it. When he returned from the Indigo League, he immediately went to the Orange Islands. When he returned from that, he went to Johto immediately after. After Johto, he went to Hoenn about a week after. Then a day after he returned from Hoenn he left for the Battle Frontier. Then to Sinnoh almost immediately after. And after Sinnoh…

"I leave for my next journey," Ash answered.

His mother nodded. "You're always so happy when you go on your journey. While I sometimes wish you would stay a little longer, it makes me happier to see you happy. But after you returned from Sinnoh, you stayed for over two weeks."

Ash frowned. He realized that. It was because he was still trying to get over his crushing defeat. It wasn't the loss itself, but rather the fact that he fought so hard, fought with everything he had. And lost it all. He returned home so he could recover.

"And that's why we thought to get your spirit high again, we would send you on a surprise journey! Juniper, if you will," Oak looked at Juniper who nodded. Ash turned towards her to see her holding a tray.

"Unova is filled with Pokémon that aren't found anywhere else in the world. What you may consider common in your world, like a Pidgey, would be really rare here. And the other way around. So this is a Pokedex for this region." Ash looked at the rectangle device in surprise. The five Pokeballs were self-explanatory. "I have also signed you up for the Unova League, per Mrs. Ketchum's request. Ash looked back at the monitor.

"Before you say anything Ash, just know that I will always be proud of you. And you are my son, so you're going to get back up no matter what."

"Thanks a lot mom, Professor Oak, and Professor Juniper. I'll give it a shot. I've been out of it for too long. Time to win the Unova League!" Ash exclaimed, pumping his fist in the air with Pikachu mimicking his action, shouting a 'Pika!'

The three adults smiled and Ash said goodbye to Professor Oak and his mother. "Alright Ash. I have a few things for you from your mother." Juniper handed Ash a duffle bag. "There's a tent and sleeping bag in there for you."

Ash graciously took the bag. He then bowed. "Thanks so much Professor Juniper."

"That's not all Ash." She picked up a watch from the table. "You should have a coupon for this Xtransceiver." Ash nodded and pulled it out of his wallet and gave it to Juniper. "This is kind of like a PokeGear, where you can talk to people through it. Only difference is that it has video chat. I've already token the liberty to register myself, Professor Oak, and your mother."

"Wow, thanks so much Professor!" Ash was admiring the small piece of technology.

"I should also let you know, once you catch more than 6 Pokemon, any other Pokemon you catch will be sent to me instead of Professor Oak. It will make things simpler for you."

"I…I don't know what to say. Thanks for all this Professor!" Ash thanked the Professor once again.

Juniper chuckled. "Well it's getting late. Tomorrow three new trainers will be here so I will have to give them their starter Pokémon. If you want, you can check them out tomorrow."

Ash's eyes sparkled. "Really!? I can!? Thanks Professor!"

Juniper laughed at Ash's sudden change when it came to Pokémon. "It's getting late. You should probably get some rest." Ash was about to nod when a sound was heard in the room. Ash rubbed the back of his head while Juniper laughed. "After dinner of course."

* * *

Ash yawned as he stepped out of the room Juniper leant him. It was the next day and Ash was ready to start his new adventure. Ash suddenly felt something hit his leg. Looking down, Ash saw a little Pokémon. It had a shell on its chest and its head reminded Ash of ice-cream. Ash pulled out his new Pokedex from his pocket and faced it towards the Pokémon.

 _Oshawott. The Sea Otter Pokémon. Oshawott is a Water Type Pokémon. The scalchop on its stomach isn't just used for battle-it can be used to break open hard berries as well._

"So its shell is a weapon? That's pretty cool!" Ash put away his Pokedex before crouching down. "Hey there. So you're Oshawott, huh? I'm Ash. You look like a strong Pokémon!" Oshawott was surprised but then put its hands on its hips and posed in a prideful pose. Ash patted its head and Pikachu jumped down from Ash's shoulder to greet Oshawott.

"Ash, have you seen-oh I see you've met Oshawott," Ash looked up to see Juniper walking towards him.

Ash picked up Oshawott. "Yeah, he's a really cool Pokémon!"

"This Oshawott is a real troublemaker. He likes to leave his Pokeball whenever he feels like." Juniper shook her head, seeming to recall previous experiences with Oshawott.

"This cute guy is a troublemaker? Huh." Ash looked at Oshawott smiling before placing him back on the ground.

"Oshawott, return," Juniper said, pointing a Pokeball at Oshawott. The Oshawott was sucked into the Pokeball. "Well Ash, would you like to see the starter Pokémon?"

Ash's eyes lit up immediately. "You bet I do!"

They were now in front of the entrance. Professor Juniper was holding a capsule that had three Pokeballs in it. She released each of them and three Pokémon were on the ground.

One was a green snake of sorts. It looked very serious. Another was an orange and black pig. It looked very excitable. And the last, was an Oshawott.

"This is a different Oshawott, right?" Ash asked, crouching to get a better look at the three Pokémon.

"I'm impressed you can tell Ash. Yes, this Oshawott is a different one. Doesn't cause that much trouble," both Juniper and Ash chuckled at that. Ash pulled out his Pokedex.

 _Snivy. The Grass Snake Pokémon. Snivy is a Grass Type Pokémon. Being exposed to sunlight makes its movements swifter. It uses vines more adeptly than its hands._

"Wow, you're a really cool Pokémon!" The Snivy looked away with a small smile on its face, making Ash smile. He moved on to Tepig.

 _Tepig. The Fire Pig Pokémon. Tepig is a Fire Type Pokémon. It loves to eat roasted berries, but sometimes it gets too excited and burns them to a crisp._

"Haha, you're a real fun one!" The Tepig grew a big smile on its face and wagged its tail faster. "And you're really calm and cool." Ash said to the Oshawott. The Oshawott pounded its chest with pride. Ash stood back up. "They're all awesome Pokémon."

"I'm glad you think so. The three new trainers should be arriving soon," Juniper said, looking towards the door. "I hope they aren't late for their first Pokémon." Ash and Pikachu shared a glance at each other and chuckled.

The two turned towards the door, waiting for the new trainers to make an arrival. It wasn't long until three figures started to make an appearance. Soon the glass door opened.

"So-oooo-orry we're late Professor!" The first person to enter was a girl. She had blonde hair, had a white skirt, an orange jumper, a green beret, and orange tights. She was currently bowing to Juniper.

"Thanks to you Bianca, we're all late," the next person to enter was a tall boy. He had black hair, had glasses, a blue coat, a white shirt with a Y-shaped pattern, and black dress pants.

"Don't blame it all on her Cheren. You know how her dad is," the next, and final person, to enter was a girl. She was Ash's height with long brown hair. She had a white hat with a pink Pokeball symbol on it. She was wearing a tank shirt underneath a black waistcoat and a pair of denim shorts.

"Bianca, don't worry about it," Juniper said, making the girl stand straight again. "Here you three," Juniper walked over to a desk where there were three trays, each of them holding 5 Pokeballs and a Pokedex. "This is a Pokedex. Do any of you know what the Pokedex does?"

Cheren answered in an instant. "The Pokedex is a device that can give you information about a Pokémon, even more information if you catch a Pokémon."

"Correct Cheren! Now then, I think it is about time you all choose your very first Pokémon," Juniper gestured towards the starter Pokemon

The three didn't seem to even notice Ash was there as they all looked between themselves. "Who should choose first?" Cheren asked, glancing over at the starter Pokémon. He seemed to have his eyes on Snivy.

"I think Hilda should choose first!" Bianca declared. This surprised the two.

"Me? Are you sure Bianca?"

Bianca gave her a bright smile. "Of course! After all, it was my fault you were late."

"I was late too," Cheren mumbled.

Hilda smiled and nodded. She walked over towards the starter Pokémon, holding her Pokedex. She was about to scan each of the Pokémon before shaking her head and putting her Pokedex in her pocket. Ash was slightly surprised. Didn't she want to know about the Pokémon?

Hilda looked at all three of them. Snivy didn't seem to necessarily care too much, Tepig was wagging its tail, and Oshawott had a blank expression. Hilda picked up the Oshawott. "Hey, want to be my new partner?" Oshawott seemed surprised before giving a nod. Hilda turned towards Juniper. "I choose Oshawott!"

Juniper smiled. "Oshawott is a good choice. Here is her Pokeball." Juniper handed Hilda her Pokeball before turning towards Bianca and Cheren.

Bianca ran up to the two remaining Pokémon and picked up Tepig. "Alright, I choose Tepig and you get Snivy Cheren!"

"What? Why do you get to choose my Pokemon?" Cheren sighed and looked at Snivy. "Well, I wanted Snivy in the first place so I guess it works out." The two received their Pokémon's respective Pokeballs. The three then bowed to Juniper.

"Thank you so much!"

Juniper seemed surprised but smiled nonetheless. "I take pride in being able to send young trainers like you into the world of Pokémon."

The three nodded and looked at each other, but it was then that Hilda finally noticed Ash. "Hey, who are you?" Everyone looked in his direction.

Professor Juniper walked over to Ash. "Everyone, this is Ash. He's a trainer from the Kanto Region and he's going to challenge the Unova League."

"Hi there," Ash said. "I'm Ash Ketchum. And this is my partner Pikachu."

"A Pikachu?" Cheren asked. He pulled up his Pokedex and held it up in front of Pikachu.

 _Pikachu. The Mouse Pokemon. Pikachu is an Electric Type Pokémon._ _It occasionally uses an electric shock to recharge a fellow Pikachu that is in a weakened state. It is uncommon in the Unova Region._

"The Unova League?" Hilda asked, also looking at the Pikachu, though unlike Cheren she was directly in front of Pikachu who was on Ash's shoulder.

"That's right. If you sign up at the Pokemon Center in Accumula Town, you can enter the Unova League. It is a challenge to become the strongest trainer in the region," Juniper explained.

"Hm, I may take on that challenge," Cheren said.

"I'm not interested in becoming the strongest trainer, but maybe I'll give it a shot," Bianca said, hugging her Tepig.

"I'll think about it as well," Hilda said, now rubbing Pikachu's head.

"By the way Ash," Ash looked to Cheren. "Is your Pikachu strong?" Ash looked at Pikachu and grinned.

"You bet!"

"Then how about a battle?" Ash was a bit surprised. Cheren had only just received his started Pokémon. Ash looked at the Snivy next to him and was surprised to see it so determined.

"Our first battle in Unova…You're on Cheren!" Something just sparked in Ash, something he hadn't felt since his battle with Paul.

"If you both are sure, then let's go to the battlefield outside," Juniper said, exiting the lab with all four trainers following.

They were soon in an outside battlefield. Juniper was the referee while Ash and Cheren were standing across from one another, their Pokémon already on the battlefield. Hilda and Bianca were standing at the side.

"This is a one-on-one battle between Ash from Pallet Town and Cheren from Nuvema Town! The battle ends when one Pokémon on either side is defeated! Battle begin!"

Cheren pushed up his glasses. "Snivy, Vine Whip!" Vines sprouted from Snivy's back and started to go straight towards Pikachu.

"Pikachu, Iron Tail!" Pikachu's tail glowed and Pikachu did a spin and knocked both of the vines away, surprising Cheren.

"Both of the vines? I thought you would be able to knock away only one," Cheren said, still slightly surprised.

"That spin Pikachu did was able to knock away both vines with just one hit. Pikachu spun around twice really fast. That's something we learned in our previous journey. Now it's my turn, Quick Attack!"

Pikachu suddenly gained a burst of speed that surprised Cheren. "Snivy, meet it with a Tackle!"

Snivy also charged at Pikachu, much slower though, which ended up causing Snivy to be knocked back. Snivy got back up, though had sparks flying around his body.

"What are those sparks around Snivy?" Bianca asked. "Is Quick Attack an electric type move?"

"No, that's Pikachu's ability. If a Pokemon makes physical contact with Pikachu, they may be paralyzed. Their movement will be slower and they may not be able to attack," Juniper explained.

"Do our Pokémon also have abilities like that?" Hilda asked.

Juniper nodded. "Every Pokémon has a special ability. Some are only activated in certain circumstances however."

Cheren was analyzing the situation. He had used all of Snivy's moves, which were currently only two. If he wanted to turn this around, he would have to think about Ash's next move. It was clear to Cheren that Ash is holding back, which is understandable considering this is not only his first battle, but it was also Snivy's first battle. But he will make him regret underestimating him and Snivy.

"Snivy! Vine Whip! But use only one Vine!" This surprised everyone but Snivy did as told.

"Pikachu, Iron Tail!" Pikachu knocked the vine away with Iron Tail.

"The other vine!" Cheren called. Snivy's other vine appeared and grabbed Pikachu. "Toss it!" Snivy raised Pikachu into the sky and slammed him on the ground.

"Pikachu!" Ash called out, worried for his friend. He saw Pikachu get up with some bruises, but was fine. Ash let out a sigh of relief before grinning at Cheren. "You're pretty good Cheren! Pikachu! Use Thunderbolt!"

No one noticed the clouds in the sky as Pikachu started the attack. "PIKA-" Cheren had no idea what he could do against the attack. "CHU!" Pikachu unleashed the electric attack, but to everyone's surprise, the attack was redirected into the clouds.

All of a sudden a blue lightning bolt struck Pikachu, surprising everyone even more. "PIKACHU!" Ash called out as he raced to his friend. The lightning bolt disappeared but Pikachu was now unconscious with smoke around his body.

Ash lifted up Pikachu. "Ash! Bring Pikachu to my lab now!" Juniper called, rushing inside. Ash nodded, racing inside after the Professor. Hilda and Bianca decided to follow, worried about Pikachu. Cheren gave a quick glance at the clouds, wondering when they appeared before following the others.

Juniper placed Pikachu on a bed and hooked up some machines to him and started to analyze what had happened. She was looking back and forth between different monitors, punching keys in order to get results. Ash was just sitting by Pikachu's side, worried.

A gasp made everyone in the room turn towards Juniper. "Professor? What's wrong?" Hilda asked.

Juniper turned towards Ash with a frown. "Ash, I'm afraid that lightning bolt had drained all of Pikachu's energy."

Ash was confused. "Can't Pikachu regain his energy?"

Juniper shook her head. "I meant, Pikachu had all of his _electric_ energy drained. Meaning Pikachu can no longer use electric type moves."

Ash stared at Juniper as he started to comprehend what she just said. His mind went back to an event similar to this all the way back in Hoenn. Except then it was the opposite: Pikachu had stored _too_ much electric energy. Now Pikachu was drained of it all.

"Why…? Why did this have to happen!?" Ash placed his head on Pikachu's bed. It was Pikachu's Thunderbolt that had allowed them to have the bond they had.

Just then the power in the lab turned off. "What's this? Did a something short-circuit?" Juniper asked, inspecting various devices. "You all wait here, I'll be back." Juniper left, leaving the four trainers in silence.

"So Ash," Bianca said, trying to start a conversation. "How long have you had Pikachu?"

Ash raised his head from the bed and looked up. "…I guess 4 years now."

"Really? You're from Kanto right? Which Pokémon was your starter?" Cheren asked.

Ash smiled as he looked at Pikachu. "It was Pikachu. I overslept the day I had to get my first Pokémon and I ended up with this guy." Ash was now rubbing Pikachu's head.

Hilda was curious about Ash and his bond with Pikachu. It was clear that bond seemed to be a part of his strength. "What about you Ash?"

Ash looked at Hilda quizzically. "What about me?"

"Tell us about you! You are clearly a good trainer and you said something about journeys earlier, which was plural so you must have had plenty of adventures!" Ash was surprised by Hilda's excitement and sharpness.

"You'll get used to it," Ash looked at Cheren confused. "She can pick any sentence to pieces in order to get the information she wants."

"I see. Well I've been to Kanto, the Orange Islands, Johto, Hoenn, and Sinnoh. I've had too many adventures to even count," Ash said rubbing the back of his head. It sounded like he was gloating.

"So you've met many kinds of Pokémon then?"

Ash grinned. "Lots. I've met just about every Pokémon in each region. And the fact that there's a whole region of Pokémon I've never seen before is awesome!"

Before Hilda could say something, a sudden movement cut her off. The trainers stared at Pikachu who stood up on the bed. "Pikachu! How are you feeling?" Ash asked. Pikachu didn't respond, but only jumped out of the bed and made his way towards the window. "Pikachu, where are you going?" Pikachu jumped towards the window but Ash quickly caught him. "Pikachu, what's wrong?" Pikachu tried to use Thunderbolt but failed. So instead he pointed outside. "You want to go outside? Why?"

"Pika!"

"That's not a good enough reason!"

"Pika!"

"…Alright, I trust you Pikachu." Ash opened the window and jumped out. "You guys wait inside!" Ash said before letting Pikachu out is his hands. The three new trainers just watched from the window as Ash and Pikachu stepped into the middle of the field.

Pikachu suddenly stopped in the middle of the field and looked up towards the sky. Ash stopped next to him and did the same. His eyes widened as the cloud started to cackle with electricity and soon there was a bright flash, blinding him for a moment.

When Ash opened his eyes, he was no longer standing on solid ground. "Where…am I?"

Around him was darkness, with sparks flying occasionally. Pikachu was next to him and seemed to be back to normal. "Pika?"

Something flew above him, making Ash and Pikachu look up. They're eyes widened as they saw a giant black creature, blending in with the darkness. It would have completely blended in if it weren't for the blue electricity around it.

 **"What are your ideals?"** Asked a loud, deep voice.

"Ideals?"

The black creature now flew below Ash and Pikachu.

 **"Will you fight the truth?"**

"The truth?"

The creature landed in front of Ash and Pikachu, causing a wind to blow, nearly making the two stumble and fall. The only thing Ash could see was red, glowing eyes. The creature let out a roar and the world flashed brightly once again. Ash closed his eyes and crossed his arms in front of him to shield himself from the light.

When Ash opened his eyes, he was back on the field. He looked around, then at Pikachu who had sparks flying around him. "Pikachu?"

Pikachu looked at Ash and tilted his head. "Pika?"

"Was that…a dream?" Ash wondered as he looked up at the sky, that was now as clear as day. Ash then glanced at Pikachu who still had sparks flying around his body. Ash crouched to touch him but felt a shock. "Pikachu, can you use electric moves again?" Pikachu tilted his head, looking for something to use a Thunderbolt on. "Just use Thunderbolt on me!" Ash exclaimed. Pikachu blinked before nodding.

Ash screamed and sparks were now flying around his body as he was now charred. "Yep…you're just as strong as ever…"

"Ash!" Ash turned around and saw his friends run over to him. "Are you alright!?" Hilda asked worriedly.

Ash got up and dusted himself off before giving everyone a thumbs up. "I'm fine. But better news, Pikachu can use electric type moves again!" Pikachu jumped onto Ash's shoulder and gave out a happy cry.

Hilda was surprised. He was just hit by a Thunderbolt but was happy simply because his Pokémon was feeling better. Hilda looked at Oshawott who was in her arms, wondering if she'll be able to bond with Oshawott like Ash and Pikachu. Oshawott seemed to have sensed her thoughts and met her gaze, giving her a smile. "Osha!" Hilda responded with a smile.

"Yeah," she whispered. "We'll be best friends, and become the very best." They were all going back to the lab.

Ash noticed Hilda wasn't with them and stopped and turned around. "Hilda! You coming?"

Hilda nodded and ran up to him. They all walked back to the lab to talk for the rest of the day.

* * *

"A large black Pokémon?" Juniper asked, surprised. They were all at the dinner table eating dinner. Ash had just described what had happened when he went outside.

"Yeah, it was such a huge Pokémon! Do you have any idea what it could be Professor?"

"I…think you may have met the Legendary Pokémon Zekrom." Everyone at the table stopped eating and looked at Juniper with incredulous expressions on their faces.

"The Zekrom from the legend? How could that be?" Cheren put a hand under his chin, thinking.

"It is the only explanation I have at the moment. It could be that it drained Pikachu's energy in order to get your attention, Ash."

Ash blinked before pointing towards himself. "Me? Why would it want my attention?"

"I do not have all the answers, but maybe it wanted to make you aware of its existence."

Ash looked at Pikachu, both sharing a smile before looking back at Juniper. "Well that's fine with me! I would love to meet Zekrom!"

Cheren pushed up his glasses. "To meet the legendary Zekrom…"

Hilda looked outside and noticed it was getting late. "Professor, do you mind if we stay overnight? We did not expect such to stay here for so long."

Juniper smiled at Hilda. "Of course! I'll show you where the rooms are."

"I'll pass," everyone looked at Cheren. "It's better to get used to sleeping in the outdoors. And I would like to get started on my journey sooner rather than later."

"Eh? Are you sure Cheren?" Hilda asked.

Cheren nodded. "The next time we meet, we'll have a battle Hilda."

Hilda nodded with a smile. "I'll get stronger, I won't let you down Cheren!" Cheren smiled before bidding everyone farewell and leaving.

"I'll show you two girls the guest room," Juniper said, and with that they all went to sleep, all excited for the next day.

* * *

Ash stepped outside the lab and both he and Pikachu stretched their arms. "I guess we should get going, huh Pikachu?"

"Pika!" Pikachu cheered.

Ash had already said goodbye to Juniper, and Bianca had left early. Meanwhile Hilda was still in the lab. "Let's get going then!" Pikachu jumped onto Ash's shoulder and as Ash started to head off to Route 1, he was stopped by a voice.

"Ash! Wait!" Ash turned around and saw Hilda running towards him.

"What's up Hilda? You need something?" Ash asked. The girl looked away, trying to gather her thoughts.

"Can I…" Ash tilted his head, waiting for her to continue. "Can I travel with you?" Hilda blurted, her face turning red after. Ash opened his mouth to speak but Hilda cut him off. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked. It's better if you travel alone, right? In order to get stronger, travelling alone is the best thing to do. I'm sorry Ash."

Ash blinked as he remembered his old friend May. She had left after his second journey through Kanto, claiming that she will be stronger if she travelled alone. He knew that it was not true, after all May lost to Dawn, a new coordinator while May had nearly 2 years of experience.

"Hilda, I don't mind," Hilda looked up in surprise. "Travelling with someone doesn't make you weaker. You get stronger and the journey's more fun. More the merrier as I always say!" Ash gave her a thumbs up while Pikachu cheered as well.

"Thank you so much Ash and Pikachu!" Hilda exclaimed before hugging Ash, catching him off guard.

When they separated from the hug, Ash was curious about something. "But why do you want to travel with me?"

Hilda looked down. "I…I'm scared. I'm afraid that I will be hurt by a Pokémon, or Oshawott will be really injured, anything can happen and there may be no one to help me. But you and Pikachu are strong, and you're really brave! So I thought if I stuck around you, I'll be fine. I'm pretty selfish, huh?"

Ash shook his head. "It's natural to be afraid. Pokémon are awesome creatures, but they can be scary at times as well. You chose the right person to travel with Hilda. I promise that you won't get hurt with me around!"

Hilda looked up at Ash in surprise who had a smile on his face which was contagious as she also smiled. She will finally enter the world of Pokémon.

 **So…how many stories do I have that are In Progress? But seriously, this is something I have always wanted to do: rewrite Ash's Unova Journey. For those who** ** _do_** **like Cilan and Iris, well they won't be Ash's companions. Iris annoyed me until probably around Castelia City. And Cilan, his connoisseur stuff was interesting at first, but got old and repetitive. (This is just my personal opinion by the way).**

 **I wasn't actually planning on making this story until recently where I read Epsil0nCha0s story:** ** _Champion's Revived Glory._** **It was an AshxLeaf fic, which I'm pretty neutral with. Epsil0nCha0s has written some amazing stories so I decided to read this one, and I don't regret anything. But what really stood out to me was the character development of the characters, specifically Hilda. While the fic was AshxLeaf, it actually made me like AshxHilda more. I never really considered the pairing and thought it was just fun to pair Ash with Hilda [who really should have been Ash's travelling companion instead of Iris (again, personal opinion)]. But now I really do like AshxHilda more and this fic may turn out to be an Othello fic...**

 **I also plan on including stuff from the anime too, like Ash's Pokémon. Except some will evolve. Normally I don't really care if Ash evolves a Pokémon or not, but the fact that certain Pokémon never evolved kind of annoyed me. *coughSnivyandScraggy* So for example, sunglasses Sandile will be in this. Some events will end up being different of course. And Ash won't lose as much! And he won't have amnesia! He's coming to Unova with his skills from Sinnoh. I will be going off the game a lot though. Team Plasma, certain events, etc.**

 **I was actually not planning on releasing this chapter for a loooooong time. As in, probably when I've finished** ** _Deadly Pranks_** **and** ** _Oblivia Battles._**

 **The reason I am releasing it is because I want anyone who (for some reason) decides to read this to suggest Pokémon for Ash and Hilda to catch, as I don't have a set team for Hilda. I only want Unova Pokemon suggestions because I am going off of Pokemon Black and White, not Pokemon Black 2 and White 2. So only UNOVA Pokemon. **

**Also, if Team Rocket should appear, should they be their usual idiotic selves or should they be smart like in Best Wishes anime? I'm not really expecting anyone to read this story, considering it has an unpopular pairing choice and is a rewrite of the anime but whoever does, please leave any suggestions! Thank you for reading!**

 **(Title will change at some point btw)**


	2. You Will Be My Friend

**This is where I'm going to reply to Reviews from now on! Though some I will PM because of how detailed I may go into them or if I need to address somethings with them. Also! I should have been clearer in the first chapter, so I'm going to edit that but I'll say it here as well!**

 **I want Pokemon that are Unova only! So no Pokémon from previous gens! I know in Black 2 and White 2 there are non-Unova Pokemon but I am going off of Pokémon Black and White. Anyways, Reviews!**

 **Branstar50: I'm glad you liked it! More is on the way, since school is almost over!**

 **Martyn: Your idea interests me. Do you mean to have Sandile not join Ash's team? Or to have him join Ash's team but have him be Pikachu's training partner?**

 **King nintendo: Glad you enjoyed it! Hope this is fast enough for you!**

 **a certain reading fan: Thank you!**

* * *

 **Welcome to a carbon copy! This is a copy of the previous chapter 2, with some fixed mistakes and something a little different: White's personality. Read and tell me which Chapter you like more; the original or this one. Read the AN at the end to, thanks! I'll reply to reviews next chapter.**

* * *

"I'M GOING TO BE THE VERY BEST!" Ash, Pikachu, and Hilda's Oshawott sweat dropped as they watched Hilda shout at the top of a hill. The hill they were on wasn't necessarily a big hill, as you still couldn't see over the trees in the distance, but it can still carry your voice, especially if you scream at the top of your lungs.

"What was that all about?" Ash asked, though he had a good idea as to what it was for.

Hilda turned around and walked back towards them. "I'm making a promise. No matter what, I won't give up and I'll achieve my dream."

Ash smiled as he remembered himself doing something similar, granted he was much more immature than Hilda. "So your dream is to be the very best?"

Hilda picked up Oshawott before looking at Ash. "I'm not sure what I want to be. I've always been scared of big, scary Pokémon like a Scolipede so being a Pokemon trainer wasn't something that I wanted to be. But I love the Unova Region. Honestly, I was planning on just being a normal person with a normal job like a clothes designer or something."

Ash tilted his head. He never had a problem like that before. Ever since he met his father's Rapidash, he had always wanted to become a Pokémon Trainer. He just wanted to be friends with all the Pokémon. And later his dream changed to becoming the very best. Hilda's situation was different. Though he was reminded of May, who didn't even like Pokémon to begin with. "So why did you choose to become a trainer then?"

Hilda looked down. "It's because of Bianca. She wanted to go out into the world and see what it holds for her. She wasn't scared at all. I realized that I would never truly be able to understand Pokémon if I never even tried." She looked back at Ash with a determined expression, the fire in her eyes surprising even Ash. "My dream…is to become friends with Pokémon!" Hilda ran back to the top of the hill. "I WILL BE FRIENDS WITH EVERY POKEMON THERE IS!"

"Pikachu."

"Pika?"

"I feel like I'm too young to say this, but she reminds me of, well, me."

"Pika," Pikachu agreed nodding his head.

* * *

Ash and Hilda had finally entered the forest of Route 1. Hilda was slightly scared, as she had never been in a forest before. "Ash, what kind of Pokémon live in forests?"

"A lot. Bug types, flying types, normal types, especially grass types," Ash answered, looking around to see any Pokémon.

"I see, which ones are your favourite Ash?" The two walked beside each other, Hilda waiting for an answer.

"I don't have any preferences. They're all amazing!" Ash gave Hilda a grin which made her blink.

"You like them all?"

Ash nodded. "Once you meet a really scary Pokemon, like a Steelix, you'll see. Pokémon aren't all about appearances."

"I see." Hilda decided to change the topic. "I've never been in this forest before. There's a road we take which has barely any Pokémon."

"The cars are just too noisy for the Pokémon," Ash adjusted his cap as the sun started to shine in front of him. "The smoke doesn't help either. But that's why the roads are at a good distance away from the forests."

Hilda looked at Ash with admiration. "Wow Ash, you sure know your stuff!"

Ash rubbed the back of his head. "Not really. This is just something I was told when I was younger." He then gave her a grin. "So, are you excited? Nervous? Scared?"

"Scared? Puh-lease! Nuvema Town isn't known for having tough wild Pokémon!" Hilda said with a confident grin. "But this is exciting. Everything is so new, I've always been around people and never really interacted with Pokémon before." Just as Hilda said that, a bush rustled and Ash turned around. Hilda let out a quiet shriek and immediately hid behind his back.

"Wow, what's that Pokémon?" Ash asked. Hilda peeked from behind Ash and saw a little pup.

"Oh, that's a Lillipup!" Hilda exclaimed, stepping forward from behind Ash.

Ash, never having seen said Pokémon before, pulled out his Pokedex.

 _Lillipup. The Puppy Pokemon. Lillipup is a Normal Type Pokémon._ _Though it is a very brave Pokémon, it's also smart enough to check its foe's strength and avoid battle._

"It's so cute!" Hilda exclaimed.

Ash had a thoughtful expression and turned to Hilda. "Hey Hilda."

"Yeah Ash?"

Ash turned towards her and gave her a grin. "Why don't you catch that Lillipup?"

Hilda blinked as she comprehended what Ash just said. "…Eh?"

"You heard me! This Lillipup is the first Pokémon we've seen since entering this Route! Make it your first Pokémon."

"W-what? This will be my first battle! What if Oshawott gets hurt!?"

"If Oshawott gets hurt I'll heal her. And you should have faith in your Pokémon! If you don't believe in them, who will? Besides, Oshawott is just raring to go," Ash pointed towards Oshawott who was already in front of Lillipup, the two staring each other down.

Hilda took a deep breath before walking in front of Ash. "Okay Ash, I'll show you that I'm no newbie!" She stared at the Lillipup. "You will be my friend! Oshawott! Use…"

Ash blinked as Hilda paused. "You don't know any of Oshawott's moves, do you?" Hilda turned towards him, gave him a sheepish grin and shook her head. Ash sighed. "Use your Pokedex."

"Oh! Right!" Hilda pulled out her Pokedex and scanned Oshawott. "Oshawott use Tackle!" Oshawott charged straight towards Lillipup. Ash noticed that the Lillipup stayed and didn't flee, meaning it didn't see Hilda as a threat.

The Lillipup jumped into the air at the last second and head-butted Oshawott.

"Oshawott! Are you okay?" Hilda asked worriedly. Oshawott responded with a cry while rubbing its head. Hilda breathed out a sigh of relief. "Good. Use Water Gun!"

Oshawott shot out a torrent of water, hitting the Lillipup and knocking it down. The Lillipup got up and shook the water out of its fur. The Lillipup charged straight at Oshawott. Oshawott was hit and sent flying back. "Oshawott!"

Ash noticed that Oshawott should have been able to dodge, but didn't. Maybe it was distracted?

"Oshawott! Water Gun worked last time, so use it again!" Oshawott nodded before shooting another torrent of water towards Lillipup. Lillipup saw the attack coming and dodged and charged once again straight at Oshawott. Oshawott was hit directly once again and was sent flying near Hilda. "Oshawott! Why didn't you dodge?" Oshawott got back up, bruised and stood in front of the Lillipup again.

Ash recognized this determination. Many of his Pokémon had done something similar like this in the past, all for one reason. "Hilda, Oshawott is awaiting your orders. You need to command her to dodge, attack, everything."

Hilda looked at Ash and blinked. "My orders? But why? What if I say something that hurts Oshawott?"

"Not saying anything will do the same thing. And Oshawott trusts you. Don't betray her trust!"

"Trust?" Hilda turned towards Oshawott. "Oshawott…you…trust me?"

Oshawott tilted her head towards Hilda, giving her a grin. "Osha!"

Hilda's eyes started to water as Oshawott turned back to glare at the Lillipup. "I trust you to Oshawott! Let's beat this Lillipup! We can't lose our very first Pokémon battle! Use Tackle!" Oshawott charged towards Lillipup once again.

 _If_ _Lillipup does the same thing it did last time, then I'll have to think of something to counter it._

Just as Hilda thought, Lillipup jumped into the sky again and was going to Headbutt Oshawott again.

 _Think, what can I do!? Wait,_ _Lillipup's guard is down and is now vulnerable to attacks!_

"Oshawott, Water Gun!" Hilda called quickly. Oshawott responded immediately and the Lillipup was knocked onto the ground.

Ash was surprised to say the least. "That was awesome Hilda!"

Hilda didn't say anything but the wide grin on her face spoke louder than words. The Lillipup glared at Oshawott, who had a proud smile on her face, similar to her trainer. The Lillipup quickly disappeared from view.

Hilda blinked then rubbed her eyes. The Lillipup was gone. "Where'd it go?" Hilda asked, looking around.

Ash and Pikachu also looked around. _Did it run away because it realized Hilda was a threat after all?_

"Oshawott!" Ash and Pikachu turned back to where Hilda was and saw Oshawott near Hilda, injured. There was Lillipup, still standing, though exhausted. Near Oshawott was a hole in the ground.

"It used Dig!" Ash exclaimed, surprised.

"Dig?" Hilda asked. "I'm going to assume that means Lillipup digs a hole in the ground." To prove her rather obvious assumption, Lillipup did just that once again. "Oh no…" Oshawott got back up and was now looking around, waiting for Lillipup to make its appearance.

There was a slight crack in the ground beneath Oshawott and soon Oshawott was hit by Lillipup once again. "Oshawott! Are you okay?" Oshawott stood back up, this time struggling. "Oh no, maybe we should forfeit. There's no point fighting a losing battle."

"OSHA!" Oshawott shouted, surprising Hilda.

"Don't tell me you want to continue, even though you're hurt?" Oshawott only nodded and gave Lillipup a determined glare, who only responded back with its own determined glare. Hilda turned towards Ash. "Ash, what should I do?"

Ash looked at Hilda, then at Oshawott, then back at Hilda. "Oshawott is confident in you, so be confident in Oshawott."

Hilda nodded and looked back at Oshawott. "I won't let you down Oshawott! Let's finish this once and for all Oshawott! Water Gun!" Oshawott did just that, but this time Lillipup used Dig to avoid it.

 _Where will it appear now? Every time it has been below Oshawott, but how can Oshawott counter it?_

There was a crack in the dirt below Oshawott and Hilda acted quickly. "Jump in the air and use Water Gun below you!" Oshawott immediately did so. When Lillipup appeared, it was surprised to see Oshawott above it. Oshawott used Water Gun and knocked Lillipup back on the ground, knocked out at last.

"We…won?" Hilda stared at the knocked out Lillipup then at her Oshawott who was panting. Hilda grew a big smile on her face before hugging Oshawott. "We won! We did it! Oshawott! You were so amazing! You're incredible!" Hilda kept giving out the compliments to Oshawott until Ash interrupted her.

"Um, Hilda? Are you gonna catch the Lillipup or what?" Hilda looked back at the Lillipup who was starting to get back up.

"Oh! Right!" Hilda took out a Pokeball from her bag and threw it at the Lillipup. "You're mine!" The Pokeball hit the Lillipup and Lillipup was soon inside the now shaking Pokeball. The center of the Pokeball glowed red as it shook. Ash and Hilda watched anxiously until at last, the Pokeball stopped and a click was heard. "Did I catch it?"

Ash nodded. "Congratulations Hilda!" Hilda looked at Ash, Pikachu, Oshawott, then at the Pokeball on the ground. She walked over to the Pokeball and picked it up. Soon a huge grin was once again spread on her face.

"I just caught my first Pokémon!" Hilda held the Pokeball up high and Oshawott cheered with her.

"That was incredible Hilda! For your first Pokémon battle, you did amazing!" Hilda blushed at the praise and smiled.

Hilda looked down at Oshawott. "Thanks Ash! And of course, thank you Oshawott. From now on, I will return your trust." Oshawott smiled and patted its scalchop, before falling to the ground. "Oshawott!" Hilda crouched down and picked up Oshawott who was now unconscious.

Ash looked at Oshawott. "She's just exhausted. Though it would be best if we healed her and Lillipup."

Hilda looked up at Ash. "How do we do that? I don't have any medicine."

"Don't worry, I got a Potion," Ash put down his bag and pulled out a Potion and a cloth. "Hold Oshawott still." Hilda nodded and Ash sprayed Oshawott's bruises, causing Oshawott to squirm in Hilda's arms.

"It's okay Oshawott. It's okay," Hilda said with a voice that reminded Ash of a mother and her baby. Ash then pressed the cloth on Oshawott's bruises and it wasn't long until the bruises were no longer there.

"Next is Lillipup." Hilda nodded and gently placed Oshawott next to Pikachu. She threw Lillipup's Pokeball in the air and Lillipup emerged, though extremely exhausted. "Hilda, I think you should heal Lillipup."

Hilda was once again surprised. "Huh? Why me? You're more experienced."

"Actually, I haven't really healed Pokémon that much. But that's beside the point. You need to show Lillipup that he can depend on you."

"I guess that makes sense. I wouldn't want Lillipup to think he can't depend on me." Hilda quickly accepted that and picked up Lillipup and held him in her arms. Ash gave her the Potion and cloth. Hilda started spraying Lillipup's bruises, causing Lillipup to squirm. "Please stay still, I'm trying to heal you." Hilda sprayed another spot and Lillipup let out a cry and bit Hilda's arm. Hilda bit her lip in order to endure the pain. She remembered Ash getting hit by Pikachu's Thunderbolt for the sole reason to make sure Pikachu was feeling better.

She continued to spray Lillipup's wounds and then pressed the cloth and before they knew it, Lillipup's bruises were gone as well. Hilda put Lillipup on the ground, now that Lillipup was healed. She looked at her arm and saw bite marks.

She crouched down to meet Lillipup's gaze. "Hey there Lillipup, from now own we'll be friends, okay?" Lillipup glanced at her arm, then raised a paw to realize he was healed. And it was the trainer in front of him who healed him, his trainer. Lillipup nodded slightly, still not completely trusting this trainer. Hilda was just glad Lillipup didn't hate her. "Now then Lillipup," Hilda stood up and gestured towards Ash, Pikachu, and Oshawott, who was now awake. "Meet my friends. That's Ash, that's Pikachu, and that's Oshawott."

Pikachu and Oshawott greeted Lillipup and we're talking about whatever Pokémon talk about. Hilda was surprised at how Lillipup was actually conversing with Oshawott with no resentment whatsoever.

"Here," Hilda turned and saw Ash with a bandage. "Lillipup bit you didn't he?" Hilda looked back at her arm and saw the bite marks. "I'm impressed. Not every trainer is willing to go so far for a Pokémon."

Seeing Hilda didn't take the bandage, Ash grabbed her arm and put the bandage on it himself. Hilda however laughed quietly at Ash's comment. "You would though."

Ash looked at her with a smile. "Pokémon are my life. My friends. My family." Hilda noticed a warmth in his eyes. She continued to unknowingly stare until Ash broke the eye contact. Realizing she was staring, Hilda blushed and shook her head.

Ash turned back to see the three Pokémon getting along with one another so well. "Well they all seem to be quite friendly with each other, huh?"

Hilda looked over to the Pokémon. True to Ash's word, they were playing together happily. "Yeah, makes me wish I can make friends that quick," Hilda joked and the two shared a laugh. Their laughing was interrupted when two gurgling sounds were heard. Both trainers immediately halted their laughter, staring at each other. Hilda's face reddened as she laughed again while Ash rubbed the back of his head.

"What do you say we have lunch now?"

* * *

Ash had Pokémon food placed for the Pokémon. He and Hilda were eating just a simple sandwich on a picnic cloth. Hilda had brought lunch for them. "These sandwiches are good Hilda! Did you make them?"

Hilda nodded. "I made them right before we left."

"Well, you did a good job. They're delicious!" Ash exclaimed, continuing to eat his sandwich. There was a sudden rustle in the bush, making Hilda jump, but this time she did not go and cower behind Ash.

"Huh? What the-" In front of them was a young boy with an orange cap, and orange shirt, and shorts. "Who are you guys?"

Ash stood up and wiped some crumbs from his mouth. "Hi, my name's Ash! That's my partner Pikachu."

Hilda copied Ash and stood up. "I'm Hilda, and those are my partners Oshawott and Lillipup."

"Oh, hi. My name's Jimmy. What are you guys doing?"

"We're having lunch. We're on our way to Accumula Town," Hilda explained. "Are you heading to Nuvema Town?"

The boy nodded. "I'm meeting my brother. I wasn't able to visit him, but now that I have a Pokémon I can visit him whenever I want!" The boy then realized something. "Hey, are you guy's trainers? Do you want to have a battle?"

Hilda looked at her Pokémon. They had just fought each other and are no doubt exhausted. "Sorry, my Pokémon are too tired to battle."

"Oh," the boy was disappointed before looking at Ash. "What about you?"

"Hm. What do you say Pikachu?" Pikachu responded with a cheer. "Sure, I accept."

The boy grinned. "Great. Do you know a good place to battle?"

They were all back at where Hilda caught Lillipup. It was still a nice battle spot, except there were a few holes now. Jimmy stood opposite of Ash. "I'm stronger than I look Ash! I choose you Patrat!"

Jimmy tossed a Pokeball in the air and a squirrel was in its place. It had red eyes and was standing on its hind feet. Ash pulled out his Pokedex.

 _Patrat. The Scout Pokemon. Patrat is a Normal Type Pokemon._ _Extremely cautious, one of them will always be on the lookout, but it won't notice a foe coming from behind._

 _Behind, huh?_

"Pikachu, you're up," Pikachu jumped in front of Ash, cheeks sparking for a true, proper battle.

"Patrat, Tackle!" Jimmy commanded. Patrat dashed straight towards Pikachu with a surprising amount of speed.

"Meet it head on with Quick Attack!" Ash commanded.

The two charged at each other and collided into one another. Patrat however had sparks flying around its body. "What's wrong Patrat?" Jimmy asked.

"Patrat is paralyzed. Pikachu's ability is Static, meaning if you make physical contact with Pikachu, you'll be paralyzed," explained Ash.

Jimmy's eyes widened as he looked back at his Patrat. "We still haven't lost! Patrat, use Bite!" Patrat tried to move, but was struggling to do so.

"Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!" Pikachu did just that and Patrat screamed as it was struck by lightning.

"Patrat!" Jimmy called out. Patrat was still standing, although it was struggling. "Grr, we have one last chance Patrat! Use Bite!" Patrat started running towards Pikachu, fangs sharpened.

"Pikachu, dodge then use Thunderbolt!" Pikachu easily dodged Patrat, because the paralysis slowed Patrat down, and used Thunderbolt.

Jimmy immediately commanded Patrat. "BIDE!" Ash's eyes widened but it was too late as Patrat was struck with the Thunderbolt. Patrat was struck once again, but it didn't scream. Instead it was focusing on something else. It was storing Pikachu's attack. "Let him have it Patrat!" Patrat was now surrounded by a red-ish aura and charged at Pikachu.

"Volt Tackle!" This attack surprised Hilda and Jimmy, neither have actually heard of the attack before. Pikachu started charging at Patrat as well, enveloped in electricity. The two attacks met head on, but one of them was overpowered by the other.

Pikachu jumped back in front of Ash, while Patrat was sent flying in front of Jimmy, unconscious.

"Um, Patrat is unable to battle. Pikachu wins!" Hilda announced, still shocked at Pikachu's display of power.

"W-wow," Jimmy said, returning his Patrat.

"Good job buddy," Ash said rubbing Pikachu's head affectionately. "That power was able to fell a Legend," Ash mumbled under his breath.

Jimmy looked at Pikachu with shock. "How is that possible?" Ash and Hilda looked at him. "There is no way a Pokémon that small should have such power!"

"The size of a Pokémon doesn't determine its strength," Ash said. "It's about how much you believe in your Pokémon."

Jimmy just shook his head. "I'm challenging the Unova League! You can bet that I'm going to beat you and win it all!" Jimmy exclaimed, running off.

"What's up with him?" Ash asked, watching Jimmy run off towards Nuvema Town.

Hilda shrugged. "He's just a sore loser. But we should get going. I would like to get to Accumula Town before night falls."

"Yeah, that would be for the best. Though I am curious as to what Pokémon appear at night," Ash said.

"I don't think there's any nocturnal Pokémon around here. It's just Patrat's and Lillipup's around here."

"Is that so? That's too bad. Well, let's get going," Ash said, grabbing his backpack and duffle bag.

"Hey Ash, are you going to catch a Pokémon soon?" Hilda asked, remembering that Ash still only has Pikachu.

"Of course! I'm going to need some more Pokémon for when I challenge the first gym," Ash said with a grin on his face. "I wonder what my first catch in Unova will be though."

"It sure is exciting, wondering what Pokémon you'll meet next," Hilda said with a smile on her face.

"So you're not scared anymore?"

"I'm not _as_ scared. I mean, this little cutie," Hilda said, glancing at Lillipup, "bit me for trying to heal it. Imagine if I actually angered a scary, strong Pokémon?" Ash laughed, making Hilda pout. "It's not funny!"

Ash smiled sheepishly. "Sorry. But you're warming up to Pokémon and that's a good thing. And you were really amazing in your battle with Lillipup. I can't wait to battle you one day!"

"Battle…us. Right. If I were to take on the Unova League, we would eventually fight." Hilda didn't like the sound of that. If one of them lost, would their friendship be lost as well? She recalled how Jimmy's attitude changed the moment he lost.

"Of course we'd battle. And you better promise me this, you won't hold back just 'cause we're friends," Hilda looked at Ash who had a grin on his face and was extending his hand.

"Only if you promise that we stay as friends no matter the outcome!" Hilda said.

"I don't know what you're talking about, but sure, I promise."

Hilda smiled and they shook on it. She then looked up. "It's getting late Ash. I don't think we're getting to Accumula Town today."

Ash looked up and frowned. "Man, we really wasted time today." He then looked at Hilda and shook his head. "Not that I would say we wasted any time. You got a new friend and that's what matters." The two found a good place to have dinner and camp for the night. "Too bad we don't have a table. We'll just have to eat on the cloth again. So now we need firewood and berries."

"I'll go get berries. What kind of berries do you need Ash?" Hilda asked. Ash showed her his recipe book and pointed to two berries.

"Oran and Cheri. I'll leave finding the berries to you then. I'll go get some firewood, Pikachu watch over the camp." Pikachu saluted him and Ash went into the darkness of the forest.

Hilda suddenly felt cold but had no idea why. "I should go get the berries. Oshawott, you guard the camp with Pikachu. Lillipup, you and I are going berry hunting!" Hilda soon also disappeared into the darkness of the forest.

Hilda was walking with Lillipup right beside her. "Maybe I can find a nocturnal Pokémon here and catch it? That sure would surprise Ash. Hey Lillipup, found anything?" Lillipup was currently sniffing the ground hoping to smell traces of berries. Lillipup soon raised his head and cried as he ran off. "H-hey! Don't run off on your own!" Hilda ran off behind him.

She caught up to him and the two were soon at a small fruit tree. "Lillipup, don't run off like that again! I don't want something to happen to you." Hilda put her hands on her hips and Lillipup looked at the ground. Hilda sighed and crouched down to pet Lillipup. "It's fine, just don't do that again. Besides, you found Oran Berries!" Hilda grabbed a couple and placed them into a bag. "Now we need Cheri Berries." Lillipup nodded and started sniffing the ground again.

Lillipup suddenly stopped and started to growl. "Hm? What is it Lillipup?" Hilda looked in the direction Lillipup was looking in, which was darkness. "Is someone there?" Hilda called out. There was some sort of tension in the atmosphere, however Hilda had no idea why. Rustling was heard, but it soon disappeared. Hilda wasn't sure if she was imagining things, but she thought she saw a flash of green. Lillipup stopped growling and the two looked at each other.

"Are they gone?" Lillipup nodded and Hilda let out a sigh of relief. "Let's just find some Cheri Berries and head back. Ash is probably waiting for us."

* * *

Hilda and Lillipup found some Cheri Berries and returned back to the campsite. Ash then made dinner, courtesy of the recipe book and now they were ready to sleep.

"You didn't bring a sleeping bag?" Ash asked with an incredulous look on his face.

Hilda gave Ash a sheepish smile. "Um, no, I didn't really think about sleeping outside…"

Ash rubbed the back of his head. "Well I guess you can use mine." Hilda looked at him in shock. "I've slept in the outdoors before so it's no big deal. But we'll have to get you a sleeping bag once we get to Accumula Town."

"Sorry Ash. I'll make it up to you one day," Hilda promised.

"This is so weird." Hilda looked at Ash curiously who had a sheepish smile on his face. "Usually it's me who forgets these kinds of things and it ends up with me apologizing."

"Have you travelled with people before?" Hilda asked, before realizing that was a stupid question.

Ash nodded. "Yeah, usually with a good friend of mine and someone I would meet along the way. By the end of my journey we would go our separate ways."

"By the end of our journey…" Hilda mumbled before shaking her head. It was taking them a whole day just to travel through the first Route. This journey isn't going to end soon. She put on a smile again and watched as Ash get out his sleeping bag.

"Here you go!" Hilda looked up again and saw Ash place his sleeping bag. "I have a tent but it's not really necessary here. Now then! Pikachu, help me find a good branch!" Hilda blinked as Pikachu started climbing a tree and was jumping from tree to tree. He soon called out so Ash from a tree near where Hilda was standing. "That's a good one?" Pikachu nodded and Ash grinned as he started to climb the tree at a speed that surprised Hilda.

"He's like a human Pansear," Hilda muttered. "I'm going to change into my pajamas. No peeking!"

Ash blinked before looking away. "Um, sure. No need to worry."

Hilda changed quickly and saw Ash and Pikachu lying down on the branch. She looked down at her two Pokémon. "Well, ready to go to bed?" Her two Pokémon nodded and they all got into the sleeping bag. "Good night you two." Hilda turned towards the nearby tree. "Goodnight Ash! Good night Pikachu!"

"'night," she heard Ash mumbled. Pikachu responded similarly. Hilda giggled before snuggling up to her two Pokémon.

* * *

Hilda awoke in the morning. She recalled the events of the day before "So much stuff happened in such a short amount of time," she said to herself stretching. By her side, Lillipup and Oshawott started to stir. "Hey you two. Did you sleep well?" Her two Pokémon nodded. Hilda looked up at the tree Ash and Pikachu were in and giggled. Ash was snoring soundly, one leg dangling off the branch. In his arms was Pikachu who was also snoring.

"We'll have to wake them up. Ash is the one who makes your Pokémon food," Hilda said, making the two Pokémon go over to the tree Ash was in. They started shouting at Ash, who continued to sleep. "Jeez, he's a heavy sleeper…Maybe I should make breakfast. Yeah, I'll make an amazing breakfast! To show how much I appreciate what he's done! Lillipup! Oshawott! Help me find some ingredients!"

* * *

Ash and Pikachu both woke up at the same time to the feeling of cold water." Ash and Pikachu fell off the tree and onto the ground. They got a glimpse of Oshawott running in a direction. They also noticed that Hilda and Lillipup were no longer nearby and the sleeping bag was rolled up. "What was that about…And where did Hilda go?" Ash put the sleeping bag in his duffle bag and put his now soaked sweater away. The two then noticed an aroma in the air. "Did something use Sweet Scent? They decided to follow the aroma. He didn't need a Pokémon to do that though. Eventually they were at the place they had dinner.

"You're finally awake!" Ash blinked as he saw the cloth they used to eat dinner and lunch on. On it was food. A lot of food. Sitting on the cloth was Hilda. Next to the cloth were Hilda's Pokémon with empty bowls in front of them.

"Is this breakfast?" Ash asked, eying the food. "I think I'm still sleeping 'cause that looks too good to be breakfast."

Hilda laughed. "That's a strange phrase. But you can only have some once you make the Pokémon food!"

Ash looked at Hilda's Pokémon who were sitting in front of their bowl. "Alright, be back in a sec!" Ash grabbed the Pokémon's bowls and was gone in, well, a sec. He returned with the three bowls filled with Pokémon food. The Pokémon cheered as Ash placed their bowls in front of them. Ash then quickly sat down in front of Hilda, both eating.

"Wow Hilda! This is incredible!" Ash praised, eating another bite. "This is probably the best breakfast I've ever had!"

Hilda blushed at the praise. "You're exaggerating." Before, Hilda was worried that she may have made _too_ much. But now, seeing Ash wolf down everything, showed her she didn't have anything to worry about. "Jeez Ash, you're such a pig."

Ash stopped eating for a second. "Am not," and continued eating. Hilda laughed and continued eating her food. Soon they were all done eating and they packed up and were on the road again.

"According to my map, we're getting close to Accumula Town," Ash said looking up from his map.

Hilda put her hands behind her back and clasped them. "It sure feels like we've been travelling for a long time. But it's only been a day!"

Ash grinned and put away his map. He then put his hands behind his head. "Travelling is really fun. Especially with your friends and Pokémon."

"Definitely! I wonder how Cheren and Bianca are doing."

"I'm sure they're fine. But you better be ready to battle them one day!"

Hilda nodded, hoping that there won't be bad blood between them when the day comes. "One day."

Ash glanced at her. "Don't worry about losing your friends over a battle. Battles help trainers grow and understand one another."

Hilda nodded, regaining her smile. "Hey Ash."

"Yeah?"

"Are you psychic?"

Ash raised a brow as he looked at her. "Where'd that come from?"

"You always seem to know what's on my mind. How?"

Ash looked at the sky and grinned. "Well, you figured out my secret. I am psychic!"

Hilda gave him an amused look. "Oh really? What am I thinking about right now?"

Ash blinked before putting a hand under his chin. "You're thinking about…food!"

Hilda laughed. "Are you hungry already?"

"Hey, how'd you know?" Hilda laughed even harder and ran ahead with Lillipup beside her. Ash looked at Pikachu and Oshawott before running with them to catch up to Hilda, who was now standing at the top of a hill.

"There it is Ash! I can see Accumula Town in the distance!" Ash caught up to Hilda and looked ahead. Indeed, a town was in front of them and was quite lively.

"Sweet! Let's get going-" Ash was cut off by the cries of their Pokémon. Ash and Hilda turned around and were surprised to see a hot air balloon in the sky. It wasn't an ordinary hot air balloon however; it was a hot air balloon with the balloon part being a cat, a cat Ash knew all too well. The basket had two people in it and a Pokémon. Below the basket was a glass ball with their Pokémon in it.

"You have got to be kidding me…"

"Hey! Who are you!? And give us back our Pokémon!"

"'Who are you?' is the question indeed!" A female voice responded.

"We'll answer you as we feel the need!" A male voice was heard.

"Bringing the blinding white light of evil into the future!"

"Thrusting the hammer of justice down on the black darkness of the universe!"

"Carving our names in the Rock of Eternity!" A different voice was heard. It was hard to describe, but it was male.

"The fiery destroyer, Jessie!" Jessie had long purple hair and was wearing a white shirt and white skirt. The shirt had a red 'R' on it.

"And with thunderous emotion, I am James!" James had short blue hair. He had a white shirt and white pants, his shirt also bearing a red 'R'.

"Wisest of the wise, Meowth!" Instead of a human, Meowth was a Pokémon. A cat who can talk.

"And now gather, under the name of Team Rocket!" All three shouted.

"Wobbuffet!" A blue odd looking Pokémon appeared.

"Give us back our Pokémon!" Hilda shouted, not caring for their motto in the slightest.

"We worked hard on our new motto and you just ignore it? No feedback or anything!?" James shouted.

"What are you even doing here!?" Ash shouted.

Meowth scratched the back of his head. "That's a funny story…"

* * *

 _"The twerp is still in Pallet Town?" Jessie asked. James and Meowth nodded. They were currently camping in Route 1, their hot-air balloon nearby._

 _"I don't think he's going to be leaving anytime soon," James said._

 _"What do we do then? Pikachu isn't leaving the twerp anytime soon and we don't stand a chance against all of his Pokémon," Meowth said._

 _"Delibird!" The three turned around in surprise as they saw a familiar bird approach them with letters._

 _"It's you! Whaddya want!?" Meowth shouted. The Delibird remained unfazed and handed each of them a letter before flying off._

 _"What's this?" James asked, opening the letter._

 _"It's a letter for us to return to base," Jessie said after reading the letter._

 _"Do you think…" James started._

 _"That we're getting a promotion!?" Meowth exclaimed._

 _The three looked at each other with sparkles in their eyes and jumped in their balloon, singing happily as they flew off to Team Rocket's base. "Happy days, glorious days be to Team Rocket~"_

* * *

 _"What are you three doing here?" A Team Rocket member known as Domino asked._

 _"We're here because of the letter we received from the boss," James said, handing Domino his letter._

 _Domino read the letter before crumpling it up and throwing it at the ground. "These were meant to be sent to Butch and Cassidy. How did that dumb bird mess this up_ again _!?" With that, Domino stormed off, not hearing the broken shards of the three Rocket member's hearts._

 _Jessie crumpled up her paper. "I'm going to get that bird and pummel it to a pulp!"_

 _"What do you think the boss wants with those two?" Meowth asked._

 _"Maybe they're in trouble?" James suggested._

 _Jessie gave an evil grin at that. "In trouble, hm? I wonder what kind of punishment the boss is going to give them. Let's stick around the base for a bit, you know, in case they need our assistance."_

 _Meowth sighed. "I don't think they're going to want_ our _help with anything…"_

 _It wasn't long until they saw Butch and Cassidy enter Giovanni's room. The trio stood outside the door with cups pressed against the door._

 _"I'm going to need you two to head to the Unova Region. I need you two to find an item called the Reveal Glass. The moment you do, contact Dr. Zagar. Understood?"_

 _The eavesdroppers immediately left the area quickly before they were caught. "Hey guys, how about we search for this Reveal Glass ourselves?"_

 _"I was thinking the same thing Meowth!" Jessie said. "When we do, the boss is bound to give us a promotion!"_

 _"I'll search where the Unova Region is," James said. With that, they flew off back to Viridian City. James did his research and located the Unova Region. "It's far away from here actually. Taking our balloon will take us days. We can take a plane there though."_

 _"Where are we gonna get the money for a plane?" Meowth asked. "We're in debt already!"_

 _"Are you forgetting who we are Meowth? We're Team Rocket! All we need to do is steal two ticket!" Jessie said. And steal two tickets they did, and they were on the plane to Unova. Coincidentally, they were on the same plane as Ash but neither noticed each other._

 _When they arrived in Unova, they quickly left towards Route 1 and made a hideout. "Okay, so what's the plan?" Jessie asked._

 _"We find this mirror! We're unknown in this region because of how separated it is from Kanto so we can ask around for information. However, Pokémon from Kanto are considered to be rare here so we should try and not use our Pokémon too much," James explained._

 _"What about me then?" Meowth pointed to himself._

 _"Well, how about one person does the mingling while the other two remain hidden?" Jessie said._

 _James clapped his hands. "Perfect! Now let's-"_

 _"Shh! Quiet!" Meowth pushed both of their heads down and they stared outside of their hideout, which was a cave with bushes in the way. "Is that the twerp?" Meowth whispered._

 _"And who's the new twerpette?" Jessie asked._

 _"He's pretty popular with the ladies. Reminds me of myself when I was younger," James said with a nod. That earned him a slap on the head from Jessie._

 _"How about I call your_ darling _Jessiebell for you then?"_

 _"Pikachu's here. If we get Pikachu and the mirror, we'll be the boss's favourites!" Meowth exclaimed quietly._

 _"Then let's get us a Pikachu!"_

* * *

"And now we're here, with Pikachu as ours!" Meowth finished his story.

"Whatever. Pikachu use-"

"I wouldn't do that twerp. That glass ball is indestructible and all Pikachu would be doing would be zapping its buddies. And that ball is also too small for any physical attacks!" Meowth said proudly.

"I'm impressed Meowth. When you said you had this one all sorted out, I had my doubts. But you've proven me wrong!" James said, impressed.

"Heh, this is what years of Pikachu capturing does for you!" Meowth exclaimed.

Ash gritted his teeth, thinking of anything he can do. The balloon wasn't too high up, so he could get to the top of a tree and jump for it. Only problem is that they would notice and just fly higher.

"Hah! We left them speechless! Now let's get out of here Meowth!" Jessie said.

"On it!" Meowth exclaimed, and the balloon started to rise.

"OSHAWOTT!" A cry was heard and they heard the sound of something being broken. The trio looked down and saw the glass ball was broken and the Pokémon were falling. Ash and Hilda quickly caught their Pokémon. All of them looked to the side to see the culprit and it was an Oshawott. The Oshawott was holding its Scalchop, implying it used it in order to break the ball.

"Meowth! I thought you said it was indestructible!?" Jessies shouted.

"It is! From the inside at least…"

"Meowth!" Both Jessie and James shouted.

"Whatever," they landed the balloon and jumped out. "We'll have to take their Pokémon by force! Seviper!" Jessie shouted.

"Carnivine!" James called out, only to be bitten by said Pokémon. "Not me! The bait is over there!"

"Seviper use Poison Tail!"

"Carnivine use Bullet Seed!"

"Pikachu use Thunderbolt to counter the Bullet Seed!" Ash called out.

"Lillipup, dodge to the right and hit it hard with Tackle!" Hilda commanded. Their Pokémon did as told and were able to counter the Pokémon. Seviper was knocked back but Carnivine continued.

"Carnivine use Bite!"

Carnivine was about to bite Pikachu who was caught off guard but was hit by a Water Gun. Oshawott stepped in front of Pikachu.

"Thanks Oshawott…wait a second, you're that Oshawott from Professor Juniper's lab, aren't you?" The Oshawott nodded and turned back towards Team Rocket. "You want to battle huh? Okay! Let them have it Oshawott! Water Gun!" Oshawott used Water Gun once again on Carnivine, though Carnivine wasn't too affected.

"Carnivine is a grass type…what moves do you have Oshawott?" Normally Ash would be able to check his Pokedex, but he doesn't own Oshawott so he couldn't. Oshawott grinned before charging at the Carnivine while holding his Scalchop. The Scalchop started to glow a white colour and hit the Carnivine, knocking it back into James. "That was Fury Cutter!"

"Seviper!" Seviper was charging at Oshawott, who used his Scalchop again. This time it glowed blue and Seviper was sent flying into Jessie.

"What attack was that?" Ash wondered.

"I'm up next!" Meowth started to charge towards them, surprising Ash since Meowth never participated in battles before. But he was immediately knocked down by Lillipup's Tackle.

"Good job Lillipup!" Hilda praised. Lillipup barked in response.

Ash gave a grin towards Team Rocker. "So I think you know what comes next? It's been a while. Pikachu! Use Thunderbolt!" Pikachu jumped in the air as Team Rocket's eyes widened. Pikachu used Thunderbolt, sending jolts down their bodies until an explosion and Team Rocket were being sent flying in the sky.

"This may be odd, but I kind of missed this," James said.

"I was thinking the same thing," Jessie said.

"And I'm thinkin' you two are idiots," Meowth said.

"WE'RE BLASTING OFF AGAIN!" And all that could be seen was a sparkle in the sky.

Ash looked at Pikachu. "To think that they're back. Anyways," Ash turned around. "Thanks for the help Osha-" Oshawott was no longer where it was and had disappeared. "Where did Oshawott go?"

"I'm so glad you're both okay!" Hilda embraced her two Pokémon. She then looked at Ash. "Hey Ash, who were those people?"

"They're Team Rocket. They're an evil organization dedicated to stealing Pokémon." Ash explained.

"Evil organization? Those exist?" Hilda asked, furrowing her brows. "Why would anyone want to steal Pokémon?"

"People are just cruel like that. But don't worry. Those three never actually succeed. Besides, I'll be here and make sure nothing happens to you and your Pokémon!" Ash gave her a heartwarming smile that made her face redden as she smiled back. "Now let's go to Accumula Town!"

With that, the two trainers walked towards Accumula Town, finally almost out of Route 1.

* * *

 **Before I get into what I want to say, I will like to make something clear. I will update the previous chapter as well to make it clearer. I want only Unova Pokémon suggestions. I know in Pokémon Black 2 and White 2 there are non-Unova Pokémon but I'm going off of Pokémon Black and White, where there was only Unova Pokémon for the main story.**

 **This was hard to write. My goal is to have at** ** _least_** **5000 words per chapter and I was struggling to find things to write about for Route 1. Also, that Oshawott VS** **Lillipup battle may have been the most detailed battle I have ever written…not sure how I feel about that.**

 **I've decided to keep Team Rocket with their goofy selves. That doesn't mean they won't make dumb decisions, they'll know what they're doing sometimes. They just will keep their goofy personalities that were taken away from them in the anime.**

 **Hilda's got a keen eye, and is able to assess a situation once she's calm. Kinda like Black from the Pokémon Adventures Manga.**

 **Any feedback is appreciated!**

* * *

 **This is, as whoever had read it noticed, a carbon copy of Chapter 2. The difference is little timid Hilda. There's been actually a couple of people who don't like Hilda's personality and so I modified her personality. All I did was change her dialogue and descriptions. Also fixed a few mistakes and typos that I missed. So, do you like this chapter more? Please tell me what you think! I'll reply to reviews in Chapter 3.**


	3. A False Reality

**Reviews:**

 **Moderator** **: I'm glad you found it funny and are enjoying it!**

 **Branstar50** **: I wasn't planning on giving Legendary Pokémon to Ash because the anime liked to make legendary Pokémon mysterious and stuff, even though the Frontier Brains owned Legendary Pokémon. I like to think that there's only one Legendary Pokémon though the anime also likes to go and give you multiple Legendaries. Back to the point! Probably not.**

 **a certain reading fan** **: Well I have a whole new set of development plans. Haha, true. Thank you!**

 **UCCMaster** **: If you want to suggest Pokémon, all you need to do is go on any Pokémon website like Serebii or Bulbapedia and just look at any of the Pokémon from numbers 494-649. Those are all Unova Pokémon. Thank you for that critique! I'll do my best to make him more Ash-like! Thanks!**

 **Satoshi and Touko:** **Changed that with the redux of Chapter 2! I like that and I'll make them have many battles through their journey.**

 **Guest:** **I'll definitely be keeping Snivy, maybe even evolving her ;) I'm not sure if I'll make Krokorok join Ash as early and randomly as he did, but he probably will still become his Pokémon at some point.**

 **Martyn:** **I don't really plan on putting Hilbert in, or even a male travelling companion. But you definitely brought up a point I never thought about.**

 **ShadeZyro:** **Thank you very much and her personality is now 'fixed!' Team Rocket will DEFINITELY get new Pokémon. The fact that they only had like two Pokémon each was ridiculous to me. I'm going to do what the anime has usually done and that was not make the main male character appear at all, if only slight cameos. Like Red never appeared once, but was in Origins. Ethan appeared in the opening to the Shaymin movie I believe, Jimmy had his own side thing in Pokemon Chronicles or whatever it was called. Brendan was in the opening to a movie in a battle. Same thing with Lucas. And Hilbert, well Ash's clothes greatly resemble Hilbert's but I don't think Hilbert's going to appear at all.**

 **MegaHeracross214:** **Maybe… ;)**

 **magical fan18:** **Glad you think so! Thanks!**

 **Reurudy:** **Glad you think so!**

 **Little White Comet:** **It helps the character development, but it can be irritating. Glad you liked the second version more!**

 **Eon:** **I only kept it up so people can compare the two. It should be gone by the time this Chapter is up (which would be now since you're reading this…) I'm surprised you don't think this is generic and normal, 'cause I don't think I've done anything too outstanding. But thanks! Really appreciate it!**

 **Jordan Cross:** **I guess this is a reply to your PM and review since I forgot to reply via PM ^^'  
As ****_IggyChan_** **said before, character development can be done with a confident character and a lot of people prefer this version more so I'm sticking with it. I hope you end up liking this Hilda more! I like your idea with Rufflet so I can't wait until that point! As for Team Rocket, I'm going to stick with their dumber selves. The anime kinda ruined them for me by making them too smart. Everyone wished they would become smart, and we all (at least me) regretted it.**

 **Zane Uchiha Senju** **: I will consider those Pokemon! Thanks!**

 **Now then, I hope that people are still able to post their reviews on this Chapter, since it's Chapter 3 but people already reviewed my Chapter 2 Redux which is listed as Chapter 3…I didn't think this through…**

* * *

"We're finally here!" Hilda cheered. The two and their Pokémon had reached Accumula Town.

"We just need to find the Pokémon Center and you can register for the Unova League," Ash walked next to Hilda. "But for a small town, it sure is big!"

"I haven't been to Accumula Town in months, so much things have changed," Hilda looked around. Meanwhile, the two Pokémon at her feet were looking around in amazement. Hilda looked down at them and smiled. "This is the first time you two have ever been in such a big, busy place huh? Well this is only a small town compared to other cities!"

Accumula Town was filled with apartment buildings and houses. It seemed like the perfect place to live if you didn't want the noise of cars and the city.

Hilda then realized something. "Hey Ash, don't you have to sign up for the Unova League as well?"

Ash shook his head. "Professor Juniper already signed me up. It sure surprised me though."

"Surprised you?"

Ash laughed. "That's a story for another time." That, and Ash didn't want to bring up his most recent loss.

"Fair enough. So what does a Pokémon Center look like?"

Ash thought about it. "The ones I've been to, which were a lot, all had red or orange roofs. So I think that's our best bet." Hilda nodded and the two started to walk through the town. There were a lot of people walking around. Ash was told that Accumula Town was a small town, but it definitely didn't seem like one.

"Ru…"

Ash and Hilda stopped and looked at each other. "Did you say something?" Hilda asked.

Ash shook his head. "I heard something though." Ash turned to his side and saw blue eyes staring at him from an alley. "What's that?" The blue eyes quickly disappeared into the darkness of the alley. "Hey!"

Ash ran into the alley. "Ash!?" Hilda's voice was not heard as Ash was already gone. Hilda sighed and looked at her Pokémon. "What was that all about? He even left you behind Pikachu." Pikachu looked towards the alley and was about to chase after Ash but Hilda stopped him.

"Wait Pikachu! If there are people like Team Rocket around, then you shouldn't go on your own. According to Professor Juniper, you're a rare Pokémon in this region." Pikachu frowned and looked back at the alley. Hilda smiled and patted Pikachu's head. "Don't worry. I'm sure Ash will be fine. I can call him if he's gone for too long. So how about you help me find the Pokémon Center?"

"Hilda?" Hilda turned around and was surprised to see her best friend.

"Bianca!" The two friends gave each other a hug. "I thought you would be in Striaton City by now!"

Bianca shook her head. "I've been training at the Battle Club ever since I got here yesterday." Bianca looked down at Hilda's Pokémon. "Oh wow! You have a Lillipup as well!" Bianca crouched down to pet Lillipup but Lillipup immediately went behind Hilda's legs. "Aw, you're quite shy, huh?"

Hilda laughed. "Lillipup is probably getting used to so much human interactions. He appeared in front of us so suddenly and was a fierce battler."

"Wow! And isn't this Ash's Pikachu?" Bianca was now looking at Pikachu.

"Yeah, Ash was with me but he ran off."

"Wow, sounds like you've been having fun Hilda!" Bianca stood back up.

Hilda nodded. "Who would have thought being a Pokémon trainer would be so much fun?"

"I know, right? Hey, have you signed up for the Unova League?" Hilda shook her head. "Well come on! Cheren and I already signed up!" Bianca dragged Hilda to the Pokémon Center.

When they entered, Hilda was amazed. It was like a hotel. There was a counter in front of them, a hallway that leads to rooms. Another hallway with a plus symbol meaning that was where they take injured Pokémon. There were tables to the side where there were trainers talking while waiting for their Pokémon to heal. There were stairs that lead up to some machines.

Bianca laughed at Hilda's amazed expression. "Isn't it amazing? I was so surprised as well! The nurse is also really nice!" Bianca led Hilda to the counter. "Nurse! I have a friend here who would like to sign up for the Unova League!"

The nurse gave Hilda a smile. "Hello, my name is Nurse Joy! You want to sign up for the Unova League?" Hilda nodded. "Alright, I will need your Pokedex." Hilda handed Nurse Joy her Pokedex. Nurse Joy inserted it into a machine and started typing things on a computer. It was very quick and Nurse Joy returned Hilda's Pokedex. "You are now signed up for the Unova League! Here is your badge case. Best of luck to you!"

"Thank you!" Hilda accepted the badge case then looked at her Pokémon. "Nurse Joy, can you look at my Pokémon for me?"

Nurse Joy nodded. "Of course." Hilda returned her two Pokémon into her Pokeballs. Pikachu jumped up onto the counter. "A Pikachu, how rare!"

"He's actually owned by a friend of mine. Can you still look after him?"

"Of course! Please wait for a moment, Audino!" Nurse Joy called out and a pink and cream coloured Pokémon appeared. Nurse Joy placed the Pokemon on a cart that Audino was pushing and the two went into the checkup room.

"An Audino," Hilda pulled out her Pokedex.

 _Audino. The Hearing Pokémon. Audino is a Normal Type Pokemon. Using the feelers on its ears, it can tell how someone is feeling or when an egg might hatch._

Hilda put away her Pokedex. "So cool."

"Let's go sit while we wait," Bianca suggested. Hilda nodded in agreement and the two went to sit at a nearby table.

Hilda took out her badge case. "So what is this for?"

"Nurse Joy explained everything for me. In order to enter the Unova League, you need to defeat 8 Gym Leaders and get badges from them. There's more than 8 Gym Badges though so you may need to customize your badge case if you get a badge that doesn't fit in there," Bianca explained.

"Oh, so are Gym Leaders tough?"

Bianca nodded. "They apparently have different Pokémon depending on how much badges you have. They're people who have the ability to win the League itself!"

"Really? And I signed up to defeat them!?" Hilda's eyes widened.

"Relax Hilda! The more Gym Leaders you face, the stronger you get! All you need to do if battle and you'll get stronger! I've only caught one Pokemon, but I feel like a whole different person than I was the day I received Tepig. And I will continue to grow, and I will show my father…"

"Bianca…Thanks. And I know, one day you'll be able to defeat your father and show him that you belong in the world of Pokémon!" Hilda gave her friend a grin who responded in kind.

"Thanks Hilda!"

A voice was heard over the speakers. _"Hilda, please come to the counter for your Pokémon."_

Hilda went and received her Pokemon. Pikachu greeted her with a 'Pika'. "Hey Pikachu. So are they all good Nurse Joy?"

Nurse Joy nodded. "They're all in perfect condition. Please continue to treat them with care."

Hilda nodded and put her Pokeballs in her bag. Pikachu jumped onto her shoulder. "Thank you very much Nurse Joy!"

"It was my pleasure, please come again!"

Bianca and Hilda exited the Pokémon Center. Hilda looked at Pikachu. "We need to find Ash."

"Why don't we go see if he was at the Battle Club?" Bianca suggested.

Hilda tilted her head. "Battle Club? What's that?"

"It's where trainers can train and become better! They have training exercises for many kinds of Pokémon and even the trainers! You're even able to contact and battle trainers!"

"Ash doesn't have any other Pokémon on him though. But I guess it can't hurt to go take a look. Lead the way Bianca!"

* * *

Ash was running through the alleys, chasing the Pokémon he saw before. "It blends into the darkness! All I can see is some red on it." Ash jumped over a fallen over trash can and continued to chase the mysterious Pokémon. "But it looks like a Zorua…and if it is, I've gotta catch it!" Ash continued running, taking many turns and jumping over many trash cans.

"I feel like I've jumped over this trash can ten times, huh Pikachu?" Ash looked at his shoulder to realize that a certain electric mouse was missing. "I left Pikachu with Hilda. Maybe I should head back."

A certain laughter filled the air and Ash looked in front of him and there was, indeed, a Zorua. The Zorua turned around and shook its tail before running off. "Was it taunting me?" Ash wondered before continuing his chase after it. Not long after he saw the end of the alley.

Standing at the side was a young man with a cap and t-shirt and shorts. "Excuse me, have you seen a Pokémon run by here?" The man shook his head and Ash sighed. "Thanks anyways." Ash stepped outside the alley and saw a plaza of sorts. There was a crowd standing around some people. Ash recognized one of the people in the crowd.

"Cheren!" Ash ran up to him. Cheren seemed surprised.

"Ash, how are you doing?" Cheren politely asked.

Ash grinned. "I'm doing great," Ash looked at the crowd and the people in front of them who seemed to be preparing to give a speech. "What's going on?"

"I don't know. These people said they had something of the utmost importance to tell us Pokémon trainers."

"May we please have your undivided attention?" Ash and Cheren moved towards the front of the crowd everyone stopped talking. There was a man with green hair. He had a unique designed robe and a red eyepiece over his red eye. Standing at his side were about 8 or 9 other people wearing white medieval clothing.

"My name is Ghetsis. I am here representing our beloved Team Plasma. Today, ladies and gentleman, I would like to talk to you about Pokémon liberation." Ghetsis spoke with a loud, deep, clear voice.

"Pokémon liberation? What's that Cheren?" Ash asked. The crowd was also confused.

"Hm, the word liberate means to free something from imprisonment or something similar."

"So are they trying to free Pokémon from people like Team Rocket?"

"Team who?"

"I'm sure most of you believe that humans and Pokémon are partners who stand alongside one another. However, is that really the truth? Or is it a false reality that we believed was true?"

The crowd was slowly realizing what Ghetsis was implying. Ash and Cheren remained quiet.

"Pokémon are controlled by us humans. They are used for our selfish goals! We force them to battle!"

People were starting to look around at one another.

"Unlike us humans, Pokémon have living potential within themselves. We have much to learn from these beings. So what responsibility do we have towards these wonderful beings called Pokémon?"

The crowd starting whispering.

Ghetsis smiled. "That's right. Liberation is the answer! Then humans and Pokémon will truly be equals! I shall end this here. But please, take what I said into consideration and think about the right course of action. Thank you for your time." Ghetsis turned around to his followers, until a shout was heard.

"You're wrong!" Ghetsis turned around and Ash was standing directly in front of him. "Everything you said right now, it's all wrong!"

Two of Ghetsis' followers stepped forward but Ghetsis signaled them back. "Wrong, you say? Child, you are too young to understand."

"Pokémon live alongside us humans because they trust us! And we trust them! Who are you to decide whether Pokémon should be free from us!?"

Ghetsis glanced down then back at Ash to see a fire that he's only seen in one person before. Ghetsis hid a smile. "You have Pokeballs on your belt, making you a Pokémon Trainer. Someone who will confine the wonderful beings known as Pokémon into Pokeballs." Ash opened his mouth but Ghetsis quickly spoke.

"You must know, of the many types of people in this world. There are those who are oblivious to all that happens around them, there are those who would sacrifice everything, and there are those who would hurt for gain. All those people have hurt Pokémon. They were oblivious to their Pokémon's wellbeing. They sacrificed their Pokémon for a cause. They hurt their Pokémon for profit. Tell me, have you not encountered people like these?" Ash shut his mouth.

"Remember this child, Pokémon being friends with humans…is merely an ideal. An ideal cannot face the truth."

Ash's eyes widened and Ghetsis and his followers were soon gone. Ash clenched his fists, gritting his teeth. A hand was placed on Ash's shoulder. Ash turned around and saw Cheren. "Relax Ash. There's nothing to worry about. Pokémon rely on humans, and we them."

Ash sighed and smiled. "Yeah, you're right Cheren." The crowd around them had disappeared, but there were still some people talking about what just happened.

"You're Pokémon…" Ash and Cheren turned around and saw a boy Ash's age approach them. He had green hair, a white shirt with a black shirt underneath, and khaki pants. He was wearing a cap. "Just now…it was saying…"

"Slow down there," Cheren said. "What are you talking about? No one said anything."

"So you can't hear them…how sad."

"Who are you?" Cheren asked.

"My name is N," N introduced while grasping his necklace.

"I'm Ash from Kanto," Ash introduced

"And I'm Cheren from Nuvema Town. We're both competing in the Unova League."

"The Unova League? So you will capture Pokémon and confine them in Pokeballs. Then you will force them to fight. Are Pokémon really happy that way?"

Ash gritted his teeth. "Don't tell me you're on their side!"

"Hm? 'Side?' They speak the truth. Look around you, everyone is accepting the truth." Ash and Cheren looked around and their eyes widened as trainers began releasing their Pokémon. Both trainers and Pokémon were in tears.

"Why?" Ash asked. "Didn't they have a bond? Didn't they care about one another?"

N stepped forward. "You see now, don't you? They have accepted the truth that Pokémon don't need humans. It was only a false reality we have been living in."

Ash whipped his head around. "That isn't true at all!" Ash stepped forward towards N but something attacked Ash. Ash quickly stepped back and avoided the sharp claws. On the ground was a purple cat Pokémon.

"Friend, would you fight for me?" The Pokémon looked at N and meowed. "Thank you. Now, face me and we'll see whether your words hold meaning."

"I don't have any Pokémon on me," Ash said glaring at N.

"Hm. No wonder I did not hear any voices," the moment N said that, something appeared in front of Ash.

"Oshawott!?" Ash exclaimed. It wasn't Hilda's Oshawott however. Oshawott turned his head at Ash and gave him a grin. "You want to fight?" With a nod Ash gave N a grin. "Looks like we can fight after all!"

N however looked shocked. "Your voice…how? Why? You just met him!" Ash, Cheren, and Oshawott were confused at N's words. N shook his head and let go of his necklace. "Shall we begin?" Ash nodded. "Are you ready Purrloin?"

"Purrloin?" Ash pulled out his Pokedex to scan Purrloin.

N noticed this. "Use Scratch." Purrloin charged at Oshawott and sent him flying.

"Oshawott! What was that for!?"

N pulled down his cap. "The Pokedex is a tool used for battle. If you truly believe in your Pokémon, you would not need such a tool."

Ash let out a 'tch.' He put away his Pokedex. "That's fine, we can beat you without a Pokedex! Oshawott, use Water Gun!"

Oshawott shot a torrent of water towards the Purrloin. "Dodge and used Scratch." Purrloin immediately dodged out of the way at a fast speed and once again scratched Oshawott.

"Oshawott! Are you alright?" Oshawott let out a determined cry as an answer. "Good. So a Cat Pokémon. It's fast and uses its claws. I don't need a Pokedex to tell me that. Use Fury Cutter!"

Oshawott charged at the Purrloin with his scalchop glowing white and it transformed into a sharp object. "Purrloin, use Assist."

"Assist?" Cheren asked. Purrloin immediately used its claws to stop the Fury Cutter and did a jump and delivered a vicious strike to Oshawott. "Was that…Foul Play? What other Pokémon does he have?"

"Oshawott!" Ash shouted. Oshawott got up, struggling. He glared at Purrloin who had a smirk on her face.

"There is nothing you can do. My bond with Pokémon is strong. Much stronger than yours and Oshawott's."

Ash gritted his teeth and looked back at Oshawott. He then saw that determination in Oshawott to defeat the Purrloin. He then looked at N and gave him a smirk. "That's what you think. Sure, we may have only met a handful of times, sure we may have never actually talked. But that doesn't mean we can't form a bond! Oshawott has helped us before and is willing to help me again. That shows Oshawott wants to form a bond with me. And we'll create that bond by winning against you!"

N pulled his cap over his eyes once again. "I will then show you. The difference between one who has a bond, and one who doesn't. Naivety will only get you so far. Purrloin, Agility and Fury Swipes."

Purrloin used Assist instead of Agility. However, Purrloin ended up using Agility in the end and raced to Oshawott with a great amount of speed.

"How could he know what move Assist would turn into?" Cheren muttered, amazed.

Ash was waiting for Purrloin to get right in front of Oshawott. He just hoped Oshawott would be able to respond quickly. "Water Gun!" There was no hesitation, as Oshawott immediately used Water Gun, hitting Purrloin. "Quick, Fury Cutter!" Oshawott pulled out his scalchop as it glowed white and transformed. Oshawott ran in front of Purrloin who was attempting to recover. Oshawott swiped his blade in a horizontal slash, sending Purrloin to be sent flying towards N.

N crouched down and caught Purrloin. Purrloin was knocked out. "So quickly…Are you alright?" N asked Purrloin. Purrloin nodded slightly. N stood up and returned Purrloin into its Pokeball. "I never expected Pokémon to say such things…" N looked at Ash and Oshawott. Ash was petting Oshawott's head complimenting him.

* * *

Ash stood up and looked at N. "That was a good battle N."

N didn't say anything and the two just stared, tension in the air. "As long as Pokémon are confined in Pokeballs…Pokémon will never become perfect beings. I will change that. I will change the world for them, because they are my friends." N turned around and swiftly left.

"That was impressive Ash," Ash turned towards Cheren. "Waiting until the last second, you are quite the trainer."

Ash rubbed the back of his. "Not really. Trust me, soon you'll be able to think of that kind of stuff on the fly."

Cheren adjusted his glasses. "I see. I will train some more then. I have already trained enough at the Battle Club. I shall be on my way Ash. Until we meet again. Tell Hilda I said hi." Cheren quickly left as well, heading to the exit of Accumula Town.

Ash looked down at Oshawott. "Now what am I going to do about you? I'll have to send you back to Professor Juniper." Oshawott immediately expressed his thought of the idea, with a firm shake of his head. "You don't want to go back?" Oshawott nodded at that.

Ash scratched his head. "Then what do you want to do?" Oshawott pointed at Ash's Pokeballs. "You want to be my Pokémon?" Oshawott nodded.

Ash grew a smile on his face. "Then let's go to the Pokémon Center and ask the Professor!" Oshawott cheered and they were about to head to the Pokémon Center before coming to a realization. "Hey, Oshawott. You wouldn't happen to know where the Pokémon Center is, would you?"

* * *

Hilda and Bianca were soon standing in front of a giant green building with glass windows. It had a Pokémon battlefield as a logo. "This is it! This is the Battle Club!"

"This is the biggest club I've ever seen," Hilda said in amazement. They stepped inside and they were greeted to an entrance similar to the Pokémon Center's. "Wow!" Pikachu was just as amazed while Bianca giggled at her friend's amazement.

"Don't you have a friend to look for?"

"Oh, right!" She approached the counter where a tall man, buff man was standing. "Excuse me!"

"Hm? Haven't seen you here before. Name's Don George!"

"Hi I'm Hilda! I was wondering if you've seen a friend of mine here. He has a blue sweater, a cap, spiky hair, uh, probably carrying a duffle bag."

"Hm, can't say that I have. If you want to find a trainer, why not search the Trainer Database?"

Hilda tilted her head. "Trainer Database?"

Don George nodded. "You can search for any trainer who has registered their X-Transceiver to the Battle Club's Network."

"Really!? That's so cool! Why didn't you tell me about that before Bianca!?"

"I'm pretty sure I mentioned it at some point," Bianca said. Hilda and Bianca went up to one of the computers. Bianca touched a few buttons. "Now we can search for Ash."

Hilda nodded. "Okay, let's see…Nope. Can't' find him."

"So he must not have been here then," Bianca concluded.

"What do you think you're doing!?" The two jumped at the sudden shout. They immediately went outside and saw Don George shouting at a trainer. "Wasn't that your very first Pokémon? Why would you release it!? You two were so close!"

"That's what I thought! But in reality, all we're doing is hurting Pokémon. We're not helping them by capturing them. We were just lying to ourselves when we said we were friends and we need each other. Pokémon don't need us!"

"Are you a fool!? You two were inseparable! Think about how she must feel!" Don George gestured to the Pokémon next to him.

"Leave me alone Don George!" The boy who Don George was shouting at ran away.

"Get back here!" Don George shouted. He then looked around and saw another trainer releasing their Pokémon and ran towards them. "HEY!"

"Bianca, what's going on?" Hilda asked, surprised at seeing some people releasing their Pokémon.

"I have no idea," Bianca said.

Hilda glanced at the Pokémon that was on the ground, crying. It was a small Pokémon with a purple face with a black body with white stripes and white ribbons. "There, there. It will be all right. I'm sure your trainer will be back for you." Pikachu approached the Pokémon and gave it a light pat. The Pokémon's cries had quieted down, but it was still sniffling.

Hilda stood up and picked up the little Pokémon. "Come on, we need to find Ash. He'll know what to do." Bianca nodded and they walked into town, trying their best to ignore the crying trainers and Pokémon.

They soon reached the plaza where they saw Ash talking to an Oshawott. "Ash!" Hilda called out. Ash turned and smiled as he saw them.

"Hilda! Bianca! Pikachu!" Pikachu jumped onto Ash's shoulder as he approached them with Oshawott at his side.

"Ash, we've got a problem! People are releasing their Pokémon!"

Ash stopped scratching Pikachu as he stared at Hilda in shock, until the realization dawned on him. "NO way…People actually…"

"Ash?"

Ash shook his head. "Team Plasma…will pay."

"Ash?"

"Separating people and Pokémon isn't helping anyone…"

"Ash!"

Ash looked up and saw everyone staring at him. "Oh, uh sorry. I guess I should tell you what happened." Ash explained to Hilda and Bianca what had occurred in the plaza, and about Team Plasma and N.

"But…Humans and Pokémon…we need each other!"

Ash nodded. "Cheren said the same thing, and I agree." Ash then noticed the Pokémon in Hilda's arms. "What's that Pokémon?" Ash pulled out his Pokedex.

 _Gothita. The Fixation Pokémon. Gothita is a Psychic Type Pokémon._ _It stares intently at everything. It can become so obsessed with watching that it doesn't notice attacks._

Ash put away his Pokedex. "That's a cool Pokémon."

"It was a trainers," Bianca explained. "It was so sad, seeing a Pokémon that loved its trainer be released."

Ash's mind went to his beloved Infernape, who was released because he was too weak. But these Pokémon, were released for no reason. Even if they had a bond with their trainer, they were still released.

"We can't really do anything about it though," Ash said. The two girls looked at him in surprise. "They were influenced, but in the end it was their decision."

The two girls went silent. Bianca then took notice of Oshawott. "Oh wow! Is this your Oshawott Ash?"

Ash shook his head. "He's actually Professor Juniper's Oshawott. He's been following us though and I think he would like to join me."

"Really? That's awesome Ash!" Hilda exclaimed.

Ash grinned. "It is! By the way, you wouldn't happen to know where the Pokémon Center is, would you?"

Hilda rolled her eyes. "Of course I know where it is! I don't get distracted as easily as you do." Ash rubbed the back of his head.

"Well you two better get going! I want to get to Striaton City before night!" Bianca then raced off.

Ash looked at the sky. "But it's going to be night soon."

"Bianca doesn't have any sense of time," Hilda laughed. "Now come on!" Hilda led Ash to the Pokémon Center, where he contacted Professor Juniper. Hilda told him he was going to return the Gothita to the Battle Club while he talked to the Professor.

"So that's where Oshawott disappeared to. You have no idea how worried I was!" Juniper exclaimed.

"So do you mind if he stays with me?" Ash asked hopefully.

Juniper gave him a smile. "Of course! Besides, he would just run away again if I don't. I'll send you his Pokeball right away!"

Ash grew a big smile on his face. "Thanks so much Professor!" Juniper gave him a two finger salute before cutting off the video. Soon a Pokeball appeared in the Pokeball Transporter. "All right Oshawott, you're now a part of the team!" Ash pointed the Pokeball towards Oshawott and returned him.

"That's so cool you have an Oshawott Ash!" Hilda said, now returning.

Ash nodded. "So did you register for the Unova League?"

Hilda nodded. "Yep! Even got myself a badge case!"

Ash blinked. "I don't have one of those..." Ash raced to the counter. "Nurse Joy! I need a badge case!"

After showing Nurse Joy he was a trainer competing in the Unova League, Ash received his badge case. Ash also requested a room, they were only able to get one room though with two beds. Ash and Hilda got ready for bed and entered their room. They let out their Pokémon, since they were small enough to sleep in the room.

"Tomorrow we need to buy you a sleeping bag," Ash said, looking through his backpack.

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Hilda said hugging her two Pokémon while sitting on her bed. Hilda's sleepwear consisted of shorts and a tank top. Ash's was his shorts and t-shirt.

"Then I guess we should head out after we do that, huh?" Ash was still looking for something in his bag.

"Well, I was thinking we could do something else tomorrow."

Ash stopped looking through his bag. "Like what?"

"Well there's this place called the Battle Club and I was wondering if you would like to check it out."

"Do we get to battle there?" Hilda nodded. "Then let's check it out!"

Hilda laughed. "You love Pokémon Battles, don't you?"

"Of course! Battles helps you understand your Pokémon and opponent better!" Ash said, once again looking through his bag for something.

"Hm, hey, what are you looking for?" Hilda asked.

"Yep. I lost it," Ash said.

Hilda tilted her head. "Lost what?"

"My map."

"How did you lose the map!?" Hilda exclaimed.

"H-hey, I must have dropped it or something."

"Ash!"

"S-sorry."

Hilda shook her head. "You're unbelievable, you know that?"

"You're the one who forgot their sleeping bag!"

"You're the experienced one here!"

"What does experience have to do with anything!?"

Hilda blinked. She just took in what they were arguing about. "Why are we even arguing about this?"

"You started it," Ash mumbled.

Ignoring Ash, "I must be more tired when I talk…er, I mean, I must be more talk when I'm tired, wait, uh…" Ash laughed and Hilda pouted. "Shut up! When I'm tired I say weird stuff, okay!"

Ash stopped laughing after a while. "Yeah, it's pretty late," Ash looked at his X-Transceiver for the time. "We should probably go to sleep."

Hilda nodded. "Good idea. Night Ash, Night Pikachu, Night Oshawott."

The three responded in kind and soon they were all fast asleep.

* * *

"We have finally arrived in the Unova Region, Dr. Zagar," a female voice said.

"Good. You two have been training for this. Now it will be up to you two to find it. Don't let Giovanni Down, Cassidy! Butch!"

The two nodded. "We shall begin immediately." They turned off their laptop and looked at each other. "Where shall we begin," the male voice, Butch, said.

"Our first step is to capture some Unova Pokémon. That way we won't stand out and draw any attention to ourselves," Cassidy said.

"I'll capture the Pokémon. You search for any clues. We can't fail."

* * *

"Those Team Plasma guys…are they good or bad?" James asked.

"Hard to tell. They're so sincere and passionate, they probably just want the best for Pokémon," Meowth said."

"I wonder if they know anything about the Reveal Glass," said Jessie.

"Maybe. I'll disguise myself and ask them the next time we see them," James said.

"We'll get the Reveal Glass and the Boss we'll put us as his personal body guards!" Meowth said, making the trio cheer.

* * *

 **I'm actually surprised that this chapter was shorter than the previous one, considering I had more to write about with this one than the last one. I guess if I included the Battle Club part, then it would be longer but oh well.**

 **Now to something else! I never thought about this, but a male travelling companion. Before Unova, Ash had a total of two [three, I SOMEHOW forgot Tracey] male travelling companions; Brock and Max. In Unova, Cilan joined Ash. When I was planning this story, the idea of a male companion just slipped my mind. Maybe it's because I read the BW manga again recently. I still am not planning on including a male companion though, because if I do I just have a feeling they would become a third wheel and I would just forget their even there at all.**

 **"Hey Ash!"**

 **"Yeah Hilda?"**

 **"A battle between us! Now!"**

 **"You're on!"**

 ***Battle happens***

 **"That was a great battle Ash!"**

 **"Yeah, you've gotten much stronger Hilda!"**

 **"Bravo! That was a great battle!"**

 **Something like that would happen. I would be like 'Shoot! I forgot to include him!' People do that a lot, me included.**

 **So I'm curious on what you guys think about the whole 'no male companion' thing. I hope you guys are able to review still…Since this is chapter 3 but before it was Chapter 2 Redux that was Chapter 3…Ugh I really should think things through.**

 **Thanks for reading!**


	4. The Released Duo

**Reviews (and PMs):**

 **Zane Uchiha Senju:** **Thank you! I'll do my best to incorporate them!**

 **Pokemon Master 101:** **I know, but that isn't until after you beat the game and is after game content. I am going to keep Unova as a Unova Pokémon only region. Having Pokémon from other regions suddenly appear takes away the uniqueness of Unova.**

 **ShadeZyro:** **Thank you so much!**

 **Chris:** **Wow, thanks so much! That means a lot to me! Hm. I may use Serene for Hilda's Oshawott. Thanks for the suggestion! I really do put effort into this story and I'm glad people are able to see that!**

 **Guest:** **I'll consider those Pokémon. As for Krokorok having his own gang, maybe. It's a neat idea. Though he won't be abusing any Pokémon. Krokorok cares about other Pokémon as shown in the anime.**

 **King nintendo:** **Mm, maybe. Thanks!**

 **cruzcartoon:** **Iris was okay towards the end, but I didn't like her at all in the beginning. I agree, Ash should have been higher in the Unova League. I'm glad you like it!**

 **UpbeatButNegative:** **All of of your reviews I appreciate! Thank you so much! Lillipup has two l's in it…Well. Time to go fix that, though by the time this chapter is up, it should be fixed. But thank you for letting me know! I would hate to have been spelling it wrong for like ten chapters! You just saved me so much grief! As for Pokémon, the two of them are probably going to catch more than 6 Pokémon. Also, you don't need to worry about Pikachu's Static Ability. It has a CHANCE of happening and in the end, it may end up backfiring. Again, thank you so much for your reviews!**

 **Mark Andrew:** **This chapter should answer your question about the little Psychic type. Maybe Ash will get a Zorua in the future. I probably won't, at least regarding aura. I definitely feel aura should have been expanded more in the anime, but I can only see one place where aura would actually be related to in Unova. Maybe I'll mention it, but it won't be a huge aspect. I can't really think of any aura Pokémon in Unova at the top of my head but maybe? Mewtwo will not join Ash. Neither of them will appear in Unova. It's fine to ask questions again, just not every single chapter though I think that's a given :P**

 **The 6** **th** **Spectral King:** **0.0 How did I forget about Tracey!? I loved the Orange Islands! I am ashamed of myself!**

 **Once again, sorry about the whole review-pm thing with the last chapter! Now you can review away!**

* * *

Hilda woke up the next morning, looking around before remembering that she was in the Pokémon Center of Accumula Town. She notice her two Pokémon were still sleeping, as well as Ash and his Pokémon. Hilda got out of her bed and looked at the snoring Ash. Hilda giggled then decided to go take a shower and get dressed. They had a long day ahead of them.

When she finished and returned to her room, she opened the door and noticed Ash was gone. "He must have went to take a shower and get ready as well." To her surprise, all of the Pokémon except her Oshawott were still sleeping. "Hey Oshawott." Hilda went over to her Oshawott and patted her head.

"Hm, it's going to get confusing calling you Oshawott when Ash also has an Oshawott." Hilda put a hand to her chin. "Am I able to call you something else? Like, give you a nickname?" Oshawott thought about it before nodding. "Hm, what should I name you then? I'll have to think of something later."

The door opened once again and Ash appeared in a t-shirt and jeans. "Don't tell me they're still sleeping," Ash said, looking at Pikachu and his Oshawott.

Hilda nodded and went over to her Lillipup. "Should we wake them up and put them in their Pokeballs?" Ash nodded and the two did so without any problem. Well, Ash got shocked by Pikachu but everything was fine otherwise. Hilda returned her Oshawott before realizing something. "Hey Ash, why don't you put Pikachu in his Pokeball?"

Ash blinked before looking at Pikachu. "Pikachu actually hates going inside his Pokeball. The last time he was in a Pokeball was when I first got him 4 years ago."

"So Pokémon don't like it inside the Pokeballs?"

Ash shrugged. "I don't know. From what I can remember, there are only two Pokémon I know that do not like being in Pokeballs. Pikachu, and Meowth from Team Rocket. Other then them, every other Pokémon is fine with it. There are Pokémon that don't want to be captured by trainers, but I don't think they resent the Pokeballs specifically."

Hilda looked at Pikachu curiously before reaching out and petting his head. "Pokémon sure are amazing. They're practically people, having different tastes and opinions."

Ash nodded before putting on his sweater. "Let's go to the Battle Club! I can't wait to battle!" Ash pumped his fist into the air in anticipation.

"Actually," Hilda started, making Ash slowly turn towards her. "I think we should do our shopping first. It would be best to get it out of the way now, don't you think?"

Ash thought about it. "Well, when you put it like that, how about you go do the shopping while I-" Hilda put her hands on her waist with raised eyebrows. Ash put his hands in the air. "While I accompany you and help you out!"

Hilda smiled before leaving the room with her bag. "Good. You're in charge of Pokémon supplies. I'll be in charge of stuff we need to survive. I'll be waiting outside, don't forget to return the room keys to Nurse Joy!"

Ash let out a sigh of relief when she left. Pikachu jumped on Ash's shoulder and tilted his head. "I've never seen her angry, but I don't think I want to." Pikachu nodded in agreement, saying what Ash would presume to be 'wise man.'

Ash packed everything up and went to the counter and gave Nurse Joy the room keys. "Thanks for letting us stay here."

Nurse Joy smiled. "You're welcome. Please come again!" Ash nodded before exiting the Pokémon Center. There he saw Hilda holding Oshawott looking at the sky.

"So, do you know where the Poke Mart is?" Ash asked suddenly, making her jump.

Hilda hit Ash's shoulder lightly. "Don't startle me like that. And for your information, I do since I didn't run off into the back alley the moment we stepped into town, unlike _someone_." Ash rubbed the back of his head. "So come on. Do you know what you need to get."

Ash nodded. "I'm going to have to get some extra potions and maybe some canned Pokémon food. That way we can feed our Pokémon in case we can't find any berries."

"That's it?" Ash nodded. "Wow. I need to get a sleeping bag, maybe some cooking utensils, some ingredients, and I think that's it. Oh, it's gonna be on your wallet by the way."

Ash turned towards her. "My wallet? Why!?"

Hilda turned towards him and have him a cheeky grin. "Men always pay for ladies, don't you know Ash?"

Having spent the past 4 years of his life with a guy who couldn't get a girl but knew _how_ to get one, Ash had picked up on some manners. So he knew about paying for a girl on dates but…

"But that's only if you're on a date! Not shopping for stuff!"

"What if I ask nicely?"

"No! There's no reason you shouldn't be able to pay!...Unless…"

"Haha…"

"You don't have any money on you!?"

Hilda rubbed the back of her head. "I…may not."

"Didn't your parents prepare you at all for your journey?" Ash asked with a sigh.

Hilda blinked. "My parents…" Her eyes widened. "I forgot to call my mom!" Hilda placed Oshawott down and looked at her right arm. She began pressing buttons and soon a woman's face appeared on the X-Transceiver's screen.

"Hilda! I was so worried about you! You never contacted me since you went to get your Pokémon _two_ days ago!" The woman was wearing a white shirt and had a hairstyle similar to Hilda's.

"I'm sorry mom! I've been so caught up with my journey I forgot to call."

Hilda's mom sighed. "You and your one track mind. If it weren't for Bianca, I would have called the police to look for you."

Hilda looked down. "Sorry mom."

"It's fine Hilda. Cheer up," Hilda looked up and saw her mom giving her a smile. "You're having fun on your Pokémon journey and that's a good thing. So how many Pokémon do you have?"

"I have two! I chose Oshawott as my started and I caught a Lillipup on the way here to Accumula Town!" Hilda exclaimed, picking up Oshawott with her free left arm.

"Aww, she's so cute. Is there anything else you want to tell me?" Hilda's mom noticed Hilda contemplating something in her head. "I know that look Hilda. You have that look when you don't know if you should tell me something. Let me guess, boyfriend?"

Hilda blushed and shook her head. "MOM! No! It's just, um, great, now you've made it so much more awkward!"

Hilda's mom let out a laugh. "Awkward? What could be more awkward then telling me you have a boyfriend? Unless…" Hilda's mom raised a brow. "You did something unscrupulous…"

Hilda's eyes widened. "MOM!"

Hilda's mom laughed again. "Just teasing dear. But you better tell me, or else."

Hilda gulped, thinking how she should word this. "I, uh, I'm traveling with someone."

Hilda's mom tilted her head. "Oh? Is it Cheren? I know it isn't Bianca."

"No mom, um, it's someone I met when I started my journey."

"Hm? Just spit it out dear!"

"I'm traveling with a guy named Ash Ketchum!" Hilda ended up blurting out. Hilda closed her eyes and took a deep breath. That ended up sounding worse than she wanted. She opened her eyes at the sound of laughter. She saw her mother in hysterics. "M-mom?"

Her mother stopped laughing and wiped away a tear. "Sorry honey, you should have seen the look on your face. I'm so glad I recorded this conversation." Hilda's eyes widened but before she could speak Hilda's mom cut her off. "I already knew that you were traveling with Ash. Aurea told me."

"The Professor?" Hilda said. "But how…"

"She said she saw you two leaving together. So why don't you introduce me?"

Hilda glanced at Ash, then at her mother. With the way things are now, it could only get more awkward. "Sorry mom, we need to do some shopping then we have to go to the Battle Club. Wish I could introduce you but we're pretty busy-"

"What do you mean? It's still early Hilda," Hilda closed her eyes and frowned as Ash spoke. "I wouldn't mind meeting your mother."

 _Was he listening this whole time!? He shouldn't be so calm about this!_

Hilda's mother laughed while Hilda wanted to just turn off the stupid watch. She didn't notice Ash looking over her shoulder. "So you must be Ash. Aurea has told me a lot about you."

Ash rubbed the back of his head. "It's nice to meet you ma'am."

"He's quite the catch dear. Now then, I better let you two be. Ash, please take care of Hilda. She's a delicate little girl."

"Don't worry ma'am, she won't get a scratch as long as she's with me!"

"My, quite the gentleman. I think he's a keeper dear," Hilda's mom gave Hilda a wink.

"MOOOM!" And with that, Hilda turned off the X-Transceiver, panting. She was still wondering what had just happened.

"Your mom's really nice. I can tell she cares about you," Hilda turned to face Ash who had a smile on his face, as if nothing her mother said was embarrassing or awkward.

"How…what are you?"

Ash tilted his head. "What?"

Hilda shook her head. "Nothing. Now come on, let's go shopping. I need to clear my head."

"Okay…hey is something wrong?"

"Nope. Nothing's wrong. Everything is just _fine._ "

"Okay, if you say so." Hilda looked at Ash with an exasperated expression before deciding to drop it. She returned Oshawott to her Pokeball and the two went to do their shopping.

The two soon got their shopping done and luckily for Ash, his wallet wasn't _too_ light. They were soon in front of the Battle Club and the duo entered.

"Hello?" Hilda called out. From the corner she saw Don George and the Gothita appear.

"You're back!" Don George said. "This little fella has been waiting for ya!" Don George gestured towards the Gothita who ran up to Hilda. Hilda crouched down.

"Hey little girl." Hilda rubbed the Gothita's head. The Gothita seemed to like the affection and Hilda picked her up. "You're so cute, how could any trainer _not_ want you?"

"Hm," Hilda looked at Don George who had a thoughtful expression on his face. "The little fella really likes you missy. Would you mind if she joins you on your journey?"

Hilda looked at Don George in surprise. "M-me? But what if her trainer comes back for her!"

Ash looked down as Don George stared at Hilda. "I doubt that."

"What? Why!?"

"That trainer is no longer a trainer. They returned their Pokedex and Trainer Card," Don George said sadly. He looked at the little Pokémon in Hilda's arms. "She was his first Pokémon. The two were so close but it seems he went back to his hometown."

Hilda looked down at the little Pokémon sadly. "Poor thing…But what does that have to do with me?"

"You still haven't figured it out? The Gothita likes you quite a bit. I don't think it would want to stay here with me, so I would appreciate it if you would take her with you."

Hilda looked down at Gothita. "Gothita? Would you want to come with me?" Gothita nodded and Hilda smiled. Hilda pulled out an empty Pokeball and lightly tapped it against Gothita. It shook three times in her hand before a click was heard. "Alright! I have another friend!"

"Now then, who are you kid?" Don George asked Ash.

"I'm Ash from Kanto, and this is my partner Pikachu!" Ash raised his shoulder and Pikachu waved, having already met the man.

"So you're Ash. Well, would you two like to register yourselves in the Battle Club? That way anyone can send you a request to battle you or just talk." Ash and Hilda agreed and Don George registered the two trainers into the Battle Club Network.

"So we can just search for someone and battle them?" Ash asked, walking over to a computer.

Don George nodded. "That's right. You can even search for someone of your skill level. It's organized by gym badges."

"Then I guess we would choose someone who doesn't have any gym badges, huh?" Hilda said, looking at the computer. "Hey Ash, how about these two?"

Ash looked at the screen. There were two boys with two tough looking Pokémon. "Are we able to battle them?"

Don George looked at the two they chose. "What a lucky break! The two are battling each other right now, follow me!" They followed Don George into a battlefield. There they saw two boys battling each other. One boy had a yellow t-shirt and green hair. The other had brown hair and a red t-shirt.

"Whoa, what are those Pokémon?" Ash asked, pulling out his Pokedex. Hilda did the same.

 _Servine. The Grass Snake Pokémon. Servine is a Grass Type Pokémon and is the evolved form of Snivy. When it gets dirty, its leaves can't be used in photosynthesis, so it always keeps itself clean._

 _Dewott. The Discipline Pokémon. Dewott is a Water Type Pokémon and is the evolved form of Oshawott._ _As a result of strict training, each Dewott learns different forms for using the scalchops._

"So those are the evolved forms of the starters…awesome!" Ash exclaimed, putting away his Pokedex.

"Servine use Leaf Tornado!" The trainer with green hair called out.

"Dewott dodge!" The other trainer called out, but it was too late as the Dewott was hit by the attack, being knocked to the ground.

"I've never seen that move before," Ash said watching with awe.

"Good Servine, now finish it with Vine Whip!" Vines appeared from behind Servine and headed straight towards Dewott.

"Dewott! Block with Razor Shell!" Dewott stood up and grabbed the two scalchops at its side and they transformed into a razor that glowed blue. Dewott used the razors to block the vines.

"So that's what that attack is called," Ash said to himself. Hilda glanced at Ash, wondering how he could be so engrossed in a Pokémon battle.

"Awesome Dewott! Now, Water Gun!" The Dewott shot a torrent of water towards Servine.

"Servine, dodge and finish this with Vine Whip!" Servine jumped out of the way and vines once again appeared and started to hit Dewott, until it finally fainted.

"Dewott! You did your best, return."

"That was great Servine," the boy who won patted his Servine's head. He then noticed Ash and Hilda.

"That was an awesome battle!" Ash exclaimed.

The boy smiled. "Thanks. I'm training for the Striaton Gym. Do one of you want to battle?"

The two grinned. "I'll battle you!" They exclaimed simultaneously. They then looked at each other.

"Ash, you've had much more battles then me already. It's my turn!"

"What? That doesn't matter!"

"It kinda does. You battled a trainer in Route 1 and that N guy. I on the other hand fought a Lillipup and that's it."

"But…"

"There's plenty of trainers out there Ash!" Ash sighed, not being able to deny anything Hilda said. Not to mention he knew Hilda needed much more battle experience than he did.

"Fine," Ash conceded at last with a grumble before walking over to the sides.

Hilda sighed. "Sorry, he can be childish at times."

The guy nodded. "But this will be your first fight against a trainer, right?"

Hilda was about to ask how he knew, but realized that they just argued in front of him. "Haha, yeah. But I won't lose!"

The guy laughed. "That's the spirit! Servine, ready for another fight?" The Servine nodded and they went to the opposite sides of the battlefield. "Servine, you're up."

"Who should I use? Oshawott? But that Dewott got defeated so easily…How about…" Hilda gripped the third Pokeball in her bag and tossed it on the field. "Your first battle, Gothita!"

Ash was surprised. "Are you sure Hilda? You only just got her! You should do some training before using her."

Hilda pulled out her Pokedex to scan Gothita. "Sure I'm sure Ash. Besides, there's no time better than the present!" Hilda put away her Pokedex. "You ready Gothita?" The Gothita nodded and gave a determined look towards the Servine.

The guy had an amused look on his face. "Alright, let's start easy. Servine, use Tackle."

Servine started to charge at Gothita. Hilda quickly recalled Gothita's moves in her head. "Dodge and use Tickle!"

Ash and Pikachu blinked as Gothita also charged at the Servine, avoiding the Tackle and started to tickle the Servine. The Servine started to laugh to the point tears were falling out of its eyes. The trainer was also surprised.

Hilda used the situation to her advantage. "Pound!" Gothita's hand started to glow and a powerful smack was heard and Servine staggered back with a bruise on its stomach.

"Servine, are you alright?" A nod from Servine made his trainer look back at the Gothita. "Guess we shouldn't underestimate them. Alright, use Leaf Tornado!" Servine summoned thousands of leaves and spun around causing them to be caught by the wind and turn into a twister. Servine then threw the twister towards Gothita.

"Let's see if we can stop that tornado in its tracks! Gothita, use Confusion!" Gothita's eyes glowed blue and some of the leaves were affected, however the leaves that weren't affected continued and hit Gothita, making it cry as it was sent flying near Hilda. "Gothita! Are you alright!?" Gothita stood up and stared back at the Servine.

"I don't think we should continue," the trainer said. Hilda looked up towards him. "You wouldn't want to hurt your Pokémon would you?"

Hilda looked at Gothita who was struggling to stand after that one attack. "Yeah, you're probably right. But! We're still going to continue!"

Ash looked at Hilda with concern. "Hilda, there's nothing wrong with forfeiting. It's not worth having your Pokémon get injured badly."

Hilda looked at Ash and gave him a grin. "Ash, I believe in Gothita! And I know she won't let me down! Isn't that right Gothita?"

Gothita looked at her trainer who gave her a huge smile. Gothita's eyes watered before turning back to the Servine, more determined than ever. This was her chance to prove her worth. Gothita raised her arm and it started to glow. At the same time, her eyes glowed blue. "GOTHITA!" Gothita lowered her arm and a purple, zig-zag-like beam shot out of her arm and hit Servine directly, knocking it to the ground in front of Servine.

"Servine! Are you alright!?" Servine got up and gave Gothita a grin. The trainer sighed. "I guess we're continuing after all."

Hilda looked at Gothita in amazement. "That was incredible Gothita!" She pulled out her Pokedex once again to see what move that was.

Ash looked at the two in wonder. "Not even 20 minutes ago she received that Gothita and she already has a new move. That's so awesome!"

"So, that was Psybeam. Good to know," Hilda pocketed her Pokedex as she gave her opponent a grin. "I stand by my decision to continue!"

"Good. After getting hit like that, I don't think Servine would want to fight someone else! Servine, use Leaf Tornado again!"

Servine unleashed the tornado of leaves once again as Hilda gulped, wondering what to do.

 _Psybeam is a straight beam that hits wherever Gothita aims. So what if Gothita moved her arm while using the attack? Will the Psybeam move?_

"One way to find out! Gothita! Use Psybeam but aim your arm at the leaves move your arm in an arc!" Gothita did just that and the beam had struck with the leaves and caused numerous explosions. The smoke cleared up and the two Pokémon were still standing.

The trainer was shocked. "What…?"

Hilda didn't waste any opportunity. "Gothita, use Confusion to hold Servine in place!" Gothita's eyes glowed blue and did as told. "Now run up to the Servine and use Tickle!"

The trainer's eyes widened. "Servine, get out of there!" Gothita approached the Servine and was ready to tickle, but Servine was able to use its tail to hit Gothita away. Gothita rolled on the ground and saw the Servine approaching her. Gothita immediately started to…cry.

The crying caused everyone in the room to stare at Gothita in confusion. "G-Gothita?" Hilda asked slowly.

The trainer and his Servine were trying to understand what was going on.

Ash, on the other hand was wondering when was the last time he saw a Pokémon cry on the battlefield. "Wait a second…Pikachu. Doesn't Gothita's crying seem familiar?" A certain Bonsly appeared in Ash and Pikachu's mind.

Hilda also seemed to catch on, remembering what one of Gothita's moves were and a grin started to form on her face. She watched as Servine approached Gothita to cheer her up. "Psybeam!" Hilda called out once Servine was right next to Gothita. Gothita's crying ceased immediately and unleashed at Psybeam at Servine, sending it flying.

"W-what!?" The trainer was at a loss of words as Servine was hit directly and was on the ground next to him. "Servine! Get up!" Servine did so, though struggling greatly.

Don George laughed. "That Gothita's awfully good at fake crying!"

"Fake crying…? Wait, Fake Tears!" He looked at Hilda who had a grin on her face. He also smiled. "You are clever, Ms. Hilda. But that's the last trick you'll be able to pull on me!" Hilda returned his determined grin with her own. Gothita and Servine were also staring at each other, awaiting their trainer's orders. Ash and Don George were watching with anticipation, unsure of who would win.

As soon as both trainers opened their mouth, the lights in the Battle Club turned off. Everyone looked up at the ceiling. "What on Earth?" Don George muttered. "I wonder what happened…"

Just then, a man burst into the room. "Sir! We need you to come with us!"

"What's the situation?"

"Just follow me sir!" Don George did so, but quickly addressed the trainers. "Feel free to leave. This is a problem for me to deal with." With that, Don George left with his assistant.

The trainer Hilda was facing sighed and returned Servine. "Looks like we can't continue our battle. Let's call it a draw."

Hilda returned Gothita. "Okay, but next time I'll win!"

"Keep that confidence up. Well, I'll be going." The trainer left while Hilda and Ash watched.

"Wait…I don't know his name!" Hilda realized as the trainer left.

"I'm sure you'll see him again," Ash said. He then gave Hilda a grin. "But that was an awesome battle! Using Tickle and Fake Tears to lower Servine's guard then strike with powerful attacks…that was awesome!"

Hilda blushed. "Thanks Ash."

"I mean it! You and Gothita trust each other so much! And you were able to keep your cool. You have a knack for battling."

Hilda's blush only deepened. "Thanks a lot Ash. You know, I was kind of nervous since it would be my first battle, but it started to get a lot more fun."

Ash grinned. "Pokémon Battles are great. They help you understand your Pokémon better, as well as your opponent!"

Hilda tilted her head. "You said the same thing last night. What do you mean 'understand your opponent?'"

Ash scratched the back of his head. "It's not easy to explain, but you'll understand one day."

Hilda pouted. "You make me sound like a little kid."

Ash chuckled before looking at the door. "Want to find out what happened?"

"Are we allowed to interfere?" Hilda asked.

Ash shrugged. "They may need help, let's just go see." Ash and Hilda exited the room with the battlefield and saw Don George coming inside from outside the club. "Don George! Did you find out what happened?"

"We only know that something had damaged the generator," Don George said. "We're going to look at the security footage now to see what exactly it was."

"Can we see? Maybe we can help identify what Pokémon it was," Ash suggested. Don George agreed and they entered the room with several computers.

"Show us the video," Don George said to his assistant who was sitting in front of a computer. The assistant nodded and clicked an icon.

They all huddled around the computer, watching the replay where the generator was. Soon a shadow had dashed by the camera and ran straight into the generator. The mysterious Shadow got up and ran off.

"So, what was that?" Hilda asked. The assistant rewind to the moment the shadow appeared and zoomed in. It was a skinny Pokémon that was coloured black.

"Kinda looks like an Umbreon," Ash said, looking closely at the image. "Though Umbreon's have longer legs and ears."

"And Umbreon's are rare in the Unova Region," Don George said. "Though I can't say I can think of any other Pokémon that could be. Maybe a Deerling?"

"This happened only today, right?" Everyone looked at Hilda. "Well maybe it's still around! Let's try and searching for it."

"But how would we find it?" Ash asked, looking back at the screen. "What would a Pokémon be even doing near the generator?"

Don George closed his eyes. He opened them when he came to a realization. "The room next to the generator is our food storage! Though I have to wonder how a Pokémon would find it…"

"Then how about we start there? Maybe we can find a clue!" Hilda said.

"Hm, alright. We'll search there. Can I ask you two to search outside the club? In case it got away?" Hilda and Ash nodded. "Thank you. Now let's get moving."

Ash and Hilda were now behind the club. "So do you have any idea what Pokémon that could have been?" Ash asked.

Hilda shook her head. "I've never seen a Pokémon like that before. But that's why I think it was covered in something."

"Covered in something?"

"Yeah, like soot or smoke or something."

"That would make sense," Ash then had an idea. "Hey, how about you use Lillipup to try and find the Pokémon?"

"That's a good idea!" Hilda grabbed Lillipup's Pokeball and was about to release Lillipup until they saw something dash past them.

"That was it! Come on!" Ash shouted, running after the shadow. Hilda stood there staring where Ash once stood.

She soon quickly gave chase. "Ash! Wait up!"

Ash continued running, no intention on stopping until he found out what that Pokémon was. Pikachu was in front of him, leading him. They eventually started to chase the Pokémon behind the alleys. "This seems familiar…" Ash muttered as he jumped over a trash can.

It wasn't long until they cornered the mysterious Pokémon. In front of Ash was a long, slender black little Pokémon. It was the size of Pikachu. It also had a snout, which made Ash recognize what Pokémon it was.

"A Tepig," Ash whispered, approaching the Pokémon. The Tepig took a step back but hit the wall. It looked back at Ash with a scared expression. Ash gave Tepig a warm smile. "Don't worry, I'm not going to hurt you." Not trusting Ash, Tepig attempted to run for it but Ash quickly grabbed it.

"Hold on!" Ash noticed a rope tied around its snout. "What's this?" The Tepig continued to squirm in his arms. "Calm down Tepig! I'm not going to hurt you."

The Tepig stopped struggling and glared at Ash. Tepig attempted to use an attack on Ash, but ended up sneezing smoke. Ash coughed, face now covered in smoke, and looked back at Tepig. Not with a glare, but a warm smile that made Tepig's eyes widen before looking down with a sad expression. "See! I'm not going to hurt you, now let me untie this rope." Ash let Tepig down and untied the rope around Tepig's snout. The Tepig was now free.

Tepig ran around happily before falling down. Ash quickly caught him. "You must have been unable to eat with that rope around your snout." Ash pulled out a can of Pokémon food from his bag. He put the food into a bowl and gave it to Tepig, who ate too fast for its own good. "Slow down! You'll choke!" Tepig slowed down and ate the food at a moderate pace. Ash was happy for the Pokémon and pulled out a cloth from his bag and started to clean Tepig. Ash frowned as he was cleaning Tepig.

"Who would do this to a Pokémon…?" Ash noticed Tepig was done eating and was just waiting for Ash to finish cleaning him. Ash smiled and put away the bowl and cloth and petted Tepig's head. "No more stealing, okay?" Tepig nodded and Ash's smile widened.

Ash opened his mouth to say something when suddenly Pikachu let out a scream. Ash turned around and noticed Pikachu was gone. Ash looked up and was surprised to see two figures on top of a building with Pikachu in a glass case.

"Normally we'd say our motto first, but that would just waste valuable time. Let's get out of here Botch!"

"It's Butch!"

"HEY!" Ash shouted before gritting his teeth as he saw them turn around. The building they were on was simply a local house, making it easy for Ash to climb, and climb he did with Tepig on his shoulder. Climbing the house and standing on the roof definitely surprised the duo. "Give me back Pikachu," Ash said, gripping Oshawott's Pokeball.

"We won't be doing that. Billy, distract him while I call Dr. Zagar," Ash got a good look at the two. The woman had long blonde hair and was wearing a black shirt with a red R on it. The guy who was now standing in front of Ash had green hair and also a black shirt with a red R on it.

"It's Butch! Go Drilbur!" Ash gritted his teeth as the mole Pokemon appeared. They were fighting on type of a roof and that Drilbur looked like it wants to dig.

"Oshawott!" Ash called out Oshawott. Oshawott instantly recognized the situation and grabbed his scalchop. Ash was about to pull out his Pokedex but Butch called out an attack.

"Fury Swipes!" Drilbur charged at Oshawott, ready to slash at Oshawott with its sharp claws.

"Keep it away from you with Water Gun!" Oshawott shot a torrent of water straight at Drilbur, knocking it out instantly.

"Dammit Butt! Keep him distracted!" The woman shouted, still on her laptop.

"It's Butch! And what's taking so long anyways?" Butch looked for a Pokeball that wouldn't lead to destruction. "Mightyena!"

Ash looked closely at the two and had a feeling he's seen them before. They were awfully familiar. He shook his head. The Mightyena was growling at him, trying to intimidate him. Unfortunately for the Mightyena, Ash had been threatened by plenty at once before and didn't even flinch.

Fortunately for the Mightyena, it did well to intimidate Oshawott, who ran behind Ash's legs. "Oshawott! I need you!" Oshawott simply shook his head before resuming his cowering. Tepig then stepped in front of Ash. "You want to battle Tepig?"

Tepig responded with a nod and Ash smirked. "Alright! Ember!" Tepig released flames that hit Mightyena.

"Don't lose to that little pig! Use Crunch!" Butch called out.

Mightyena charged at Tepig, fangs sharpened. Ash noticed that there was a significant height difference between the two Pokémon. "Tepig, duck then Tackle!"

Tepig awaited Mightyena to get close and when Mightyena tried to bite Tepig, Tepig ducked and Tackled Mightyena's underside, knocking it back a bit. "Again!" Ash called out and Tepig charged at Mightyena once again, this time knocking it into the woman.

"BUTCH! GET THIS MUTT OFF ME!"

"S-sorry Cassidy!" Butch returned his Mightyena and Cassidy stood up. Ash took this time to race towards Pikachu and get him out of the glass case.

Pikachu jumped into his arms. "Glad you're alright buddy." Ash turned towards the Rocket duo, all three Pokémon by his side. "It's time for a Triple Finish!" Ash called out. Tepig used Ember, Oshawott used Water Gun, and Pikachu used Thunderbolt. The duos' eyes widened as the attacks neared.

There was an explosion and smoke. When the smoke cleared, Ash was surprised to see a Shuckle in front of them with a barrier in front of them. "You messed up badly Biff. We weren't supposed to be seen so soon."

"You were the one who wanted to grab the rat Jessie is always after!"

"Shut up! Let's get out of here!" Cassidy threw a smoke bomb and when the smoke cleared they were gone.

Ash sighed as he looked at his Pokémon. "Thanks Oshawott, and thank you Tepig. I don't know what I would have done without you." Tepig wagged his tail happily. Ash returned Oshawott and jumped off the house with Tepig and Pikachu. Ash looked back at the house and rubbed the back of his head. "I'm just glad we didn't damage the house. But I wonder why they're here? It's been a long time since we last saw them."

Ash eventually returned to the Battle Club and saw Hilda and Don George standing in front of the entrance. Hilda ran up to him and hit him on the shoulder. "Where were you!? Do you have any idea how worried I was when Lillipup couldn't trace your scent!?"

Ash blinked, not sure how to handle the situation. "Um, sorry?"

Hilda shook her head. "Jeez Ash. Hey, why's your face covered in smoke? And why do reek!" Hilda pinched her nose and took a step back. Ash sniffed his shoulder and cringed. Don George laughed. "Hey, is this the shadow Pokémon?" Hilda was staring at Tepig, from a distance, who was in Ash's arms.

"Yeah, it was a Tepig. He had a rope tied to his snout, causing him to sneeze smoke instead of embers. He ended up getting covered in smoke making him look black," Ash explained.

"He sure seems to like you Ash," Hilda stated, looking at the happy Tepig in Ash's arms.

"I know that Tepig!" Don George exclaimed, startling the two trainers. They looked at him waiting for an explanation. "A trainer from a few days ago released him and tied him to a post. I was going to help him but Tepig broke free on his own and chased after his trainer. Guess he couldn't find him."

Ash and Hilda looked at Tepig with sad expressions. "Poor Tepig," Hilda said.

Ash rubbed the back of Tepig's head. "He must have come back for food."

Don George nodded. "I'm just curious how he knew where the food supply was. Wait, I think that was the time when our food supply dropped dramatically."

Ash and Hilda looked at Don George with shocked expressions. "You don't mean Tepig's trainer stole food!?" Hilda exclaimed.

"That's horrible! That food is for tired Pokémon! Are you going to find him?" Ash asked.

Don George shook his head, surprising the two trainers. "Nah, he's long gone now. I've already restocked anyways. There's no reason to find him. But since you two are traveling, you'll be meeting him at some point. So if you do, do me a favour and beat him in a Pokémon battle."

Ash gave Don George a determined look. "Of course!"

Don George then looked at Tepig. "So Ash, why don't you capture Tepig?"

Ash blinked before looking at Tepig. "Me?"

Don George laughed. "Of course! It really likes you!"

"What do you say Tepig?" With a cry of affirmation, Ash tapped his Pokeball against Tepig and watched as it shook three times before clicking. "Alright! I just got a Tepig!" Ash exclaimed.

The two trainers said goodbye to Don George and were about to continue their journey by going to Route 2. Or they were, until their stomachs growled. "Oh my gosh, I hope no one heard that." Hilda said, face reddening.

Ash laughed. "Let's get something to eat then leave."

Hilda nodded. "And you can tell me everything that happened when you went on a Tepig chase." Ash nodded and they went to eat at a café. Ash told Hilda everything that happened and they ended up talking about a variety of things afterwards, both getting some laughs.

* * *

"That was the last straw!"

"Calm down Jessie," James said, him and Meowth watching as Jessie crushed a paper cup.

"Calm down James!? That Cassidy tried to steal Pikachu! OUR Pikachu!"

"She's got a point James. We can't let this slide," Meowth said.

James sighed. "I know. It's just if we make ourselves known to them now, it will only hurt us. We should focus on finding the Reveal Glass."

"Grr…Fine. You better find something out to brighten my mood!"

* * *

 **At the moment, this chapter is not the greatest as I felt it became sloppier as it continued. I'll probably revise it at some point but it will have to do for now. I was not expecting this chapter to be so long. I was planning on having the Battle Club and Route 2 in this chapter. Not JUST the Battle Club. I guess that means Route 2, despite being longer than Route 1, will end up being shorter. Also, Ash and Hilda are going to be catching a lot of Pokémon. It shouldn't be too weird. After all, when you first play a Pokemon game you probably have at LEAST one PC Box full. And Ash had a lot of Pokémon in Unova so that was something. Not much else to say. Thanks for reading and I really appreciated the reviews so far! So tell me what you think of this chapter so far.**


	5. To Not Disappoint

**Reviews!**

 **The 6** **th** **Spectral King:** **Interesting choices…maybe. Thanks for the critique! I'll definitely do my best! I plan on making Hilda care more about Ash then his other companions 'cause it may have just been me but I noticed that if Ash were to ever be separated, none of his companions would be too worried. They'd reunite like they were never apart in the first place. Hilda will also become more serious, but since it's so early I wasn't sure how to start her personality off, and the way I did it definitely didn't appeal to many people.**

 **OmniDragon10:** **I'll think about it. Thanks!**

 **King nintendo:** **Most, if not all of the Team Plasma events will be included.**

 **Zane Uchiha Senju:** **Thank you! I hope I also keep writing well for future chapters!**

 **ShadeZyro:** **Thank you! I was honestly surprised the anime didn't go with the Team Plasma releasing Pokémon plot. I was considering adding Trip. Not sure though. I guess I'll ask the readers.**

 **Chris:** **Some of the spelling errors should be fixed, thanks! I'm not the best at finding errors so if you see any mistakes I would appreciate it if you, or any reader, let me know! Ash will catch new Pokémon, and maybe all of the ones he had in the anime. Not exactly sure if he will catch all the ones in the anime, like Palpitoad for example. I'm glad you'll stick with this story, means a lot to me! I have played every Pokémon game released internationally except Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire. In fact, I restarted my Pokémon Black in order to familiarize myself with the events that take place. A Unovian (love that word) Pokémon that has meaning to me...interesting. I believe I have decided on their teams, but that doesn't mean they can't catch more Pokémon. Gotta catch em all, right? Thank you so much!**

 **DemonOnigiri:** **Thanks!**

* * *

Ash and Hilda had finally left Accumula Town. It was just after lunch, meaning they would most likely not make it to Striaton City by the end of the day. Route 2 was a forest similar to Route 1, only larger.

"It sure is humid here," Ash said, taking off his hat and using it to fan himself.

"Why don't you use Oshawott to cool yourself?" Hilda joked. Ash responded by sticking his tongue out at her, making Hilda laugh. Hearing Hilda laugh made Ash smile for unknown reasons.

"Actually, that may not be a bad idea," Ash said after thinking about it.

Hilda looked at Ash curiously. "What may not be a bad idea?"

Ash looked at Hilda and grinned. "Using Oshawott to cool down!"

Hilda gave Ash an incredulous look. "Are you serious? You can get sick!"

"You suggested it," Ash countered.

"I was joking!"

"It's still a good idea."

"No! I need you to stay healthy and feed our Pokémon. No way am I going to let you get sick." Hilda declared.

Ash laughed. "At least I don't have to worry about getting sick." Hilda grinned and they continued through the forest. "There's so many branches and trees. I wonder where a good spot to set up camp would be."

"I'll see if Lillipup could find us a nice spot," Hilda released the little pup Pokémon. "Lillipup, help us find a good spot for camp." Lillipup barked and started to look around. Ash and Hilda followed Lillipup into the bushes and found a nice little clearing. There were twigs and leaves, but they could easily clear it up and set up camp.

"Good job Lillipup!" Hilda said, petting Lillipup who responded with a happy bark.

Ash released his Oshawott and Tepig. "Alright you two! We're going to clean up this area for camp." The two Pokémon nodded and they started to clear the fallen branches and leaves. Ash, Pikachu, Hilda, and her Pokémon also helped and by dinner it was cleared up.

"Good work everyone! Now it's time I make dinner. Ash, you should make the Pokémon food," Hilda said.

Ash nodded and Pikachu jumped on his shoulder. "Let's go look for some berries buddy."

"Take Lillipup with you, he'll help you find the berries you need faster," Hilda said, and Lillipup walked over to Ash's side. Ash gave Hilda a grateful look before leaving to find berries.

"I wonder if this forest has any Pecha Berries." Ash wondered aloud. "That way we have something to cure poison."

Pikachu and Lillipup continued to search for berries as it became darker. Lillipup started barking and Ash went over to where Lillipup was and saw various berry trees. "Wow! Pecha Berries, Oran Berries, and Rawst Berries! This is perfect! Good work Lillipup!" Ash petted Lillipup before putting the berries in a bag.

Meanwhile with Hilda, Hilda had finished making dinner and was waiting for Ash. She was currently sitting on the cloth they used. Beside her were her Oshawott and Gothita. She looked at her Oshawott. "I just realized, you haven't had a battle since we caught Lillipup, huh?" Oshawott thought about it before nodding. "I'll use you in my next battle for sure Oshawott!" As soon as she said that, Ash had appeared from the bushes.

"Hey Hilda! I got so much berries that we should be good for a long time!" Ash exclaimed holding up a bag that was filled with berries. "And it was all thanks to your Lillipup!"

Hilda crouched down and petted her Lillipup. "Good job Lillipup! I'll make sure Ash makes something special for you!"

"Huh?"

Hilda looked at Ash. "Don't tell me you _weren't_ going to, after how much help he was."

"Ah," Ash rubbed the back of his head. "I guess I should get started then."

Hilda nodded. "You better hurry or else your dinner will get cold!"

Ash quickly grabbed his recipe book and made his way to make the Pokémon food. He was done fairly quickly and distributed the food to each of the Pokémon and sat down with Hilda.

Ash raised a brow. "You didn't eat yet?"

Hilda shook her head. "I rather eat with company. It's boring to eat by yourself, even if the person you're eating with has an appetite of a Darmanitan." Ash just nodded, oblivious to her jab. They ate dinner and started to set up camp. It was then Hilda approached Ash. "Ash?"

Ash placed his sleeping bag down a good distance away from Hilda's. Misty had so pleasantly told him that he was to not sleep anywhere near a girl. "What's up?"

"Tomorrow, will you battle with me?"

Ash looked up surprised before grinning. "Of course! I was thinking about doing some training before continuing anyways!"

Hilda smiled and thanked Ash before slipping into her newly bought sleeping bag. Ash's sleeping bag was blue while hers was pink. "Good night Ash!"

"Night."

The next morning the two ate their breakfast and packed up, ready to continue. But first, they decided to have their battle and were now standing across from one another in the clearing.

"Let's go Oshawott!" Hilda exclaimed, releasing Oshawott. Her Oshawott stood proud and ready to battle.

"Pikach-" Ash was cut off by the sound of one of his Pokeballs opening. Soon his own Oshawott was standing in front of him. "Oshawott? Do you want to battle?" Oshawott turned around and patted his scalchop, nodding. "Alright, let's do this then!"

"I'll have the first move if you don't mind," Hilda called out. "Oshawott, Water Gun!" Hilda's Oshawott did just that and hit Ash's Oshawott with the water.

"Oshawott, use Tackle!" Ash called out. Oshawott shook his head before charging at Hilda's Oshawott.

"Oshawott, you use Tackle as well!" Hilda called out. Hilda's Oshawott also charged at Ash's Oshawott and the two ended up tackling into each other, making them both fall down.

"Try Razor Shell!" Ash called out, and Ash's Oshawott grabbed his scalchop and it glowed and transformed into a razor. Ash's Oshawott charged straight at Hilda's Oshawott, ready to deliver a powerful blow.

"Oshawott, you use Razor Shell as well!" Hilda called out, forgetting that her Oshawott did not know Razor Shell. Hilda's Oshawott looked at her, before grabbing her own scalchop and charged at the charging Oshawott. However, Hilda's Oshawott's scalchop did not glow and Ash's Oshawott was able to get a direct hit.

"Oshawott!" Hilda shouted, running up to her Oshawott who was on the ground. "Are you alright?" Her Oshawott gave a nod.

"Let's stop there," Ash said. Hilda looked up and saw Ash, Pikachu, and Oshawott approach her. "Right now your Oshawott only knows two moves. But if your Oshawott can learn Razor Shell, she would have an edge in battles."

Hilda snorted at Ash's unintentional joke before looking at her Oshawott. "How will she learn to use Razor Shell though?"

"Pokémon can learn moves in many different ways. Some learn moves just by evolving, some learn moves in certain circumstances, some learn moves if they get a surge of confidence, like your Gothita with Psybeam, and some learn moves by training hard. So if we train hard, I'm sure your Oshawott can learn Razor Shell," Ash explained, himself having witnessed Pokémon learn moves through each of those methods.

"Let's get training then Oshawott!" Hilda's Oshawott nodded.

"How about my Oshawott help yours train then? You don't mind, do you buddy?" Ash asked his Oshawott. His Oshawott nodded and walked over to Hilda's Oshawott, giving her a smile and a pat on the shoulder. Hilda's Oshawott looked up and nodded.

Hilda and the two Oshawotts went to one side of the clearing to train. "Alright, Oshawott," the two Oshawotts looked at her when she said her name and she sweat dropped. "Um, Ash's Oshawott. Can you demonstrate a Razor Shell?"

Ash's Oshawott nodded before pulling out his scalchop and turning it into a glowing razor. Hilda looked at her Oshawott. "Can you try it?" Hilda's Oshawott pulled out her own scalchop and raised it, but nothing happening to it. Hilda frowned. "How do you do it?" She asked Ash's Oshawott, who began explaining. Hilda understood absolutely nothing of what Oshawott was telling her, but her own Oshawott was listening intently.

Her own Oshawott tried again, and focused intently on Ash's Oshawott. Hilda watched as her Oshawott's scalchop began to glow. The glow disappeared quickly however. "That was great Oshawott!" Her Oshawott smiled at the praise and tried again, failing to make it glow this time. She frowned and looked down in disappointment. Ash's Oshawott patted her shoulder.

"Oshawott's right Oshawott!" Hilda blinked at the confusing statement but continued. "You can't expect to get it right away. Practice makes perfect! So let's not stop until you've mastered Razor Shell!" Hilda's Oshawott nodded and continued to try again with Ash's Oshawott and Hilda's support.

Meanwhile, Ash was training Tepig. Ash was standing to the side as Pikachu and Tepig stood across from one another. "Alright Tepig, you're going to go up against Pikachu! Make sure to give it your all!" Tepig nodded released an Ember attack.

Pikachu was surprised and used Quick Attack to avoid the Embers. Pikachu countered by releasing a Thunderbolt. The dodge surprised Tepig and he just took the attack head on, being knocked out in one attack. Ash and Pikachu ran up to Tepig and Ash healed him with a Potion.

"Tepig, are you alright?" Tepig gave Ash a nod once the stinging from the Potion was gone. "We need to work on your reactions. Even though in a battle I'll be telling you what to do, it's still a good idea to have you be able to dodge whenever. Take Pikachu for example, he was able to react quickly to your surprise Ember attack."

Tepig nodded, listening to Ash intently, determined to not let Ash down. He was weak, he knew that as it was the reason his old trainer abandoned him. Tepig turned towards Pikachu and let out another cry.

"You want to continue?" Ash asked. His reply was another cry from Tepig making Ash grin. "That's the spirit! Pikachu, stand over there and use Thunderbolt on Tepig!" Pikachu ran over to where he was standing originally and used Thunderbolt. Tepig saw the attack coming and quickly got out of the way. Pikachu however quickly charged towards Tepig with a Quick Attack, hitting Tepig and knocking him back.

"Don't celebrate just 'cause you dodged one attack Tepig," Ash said from the side. "Once you dodge, you should counterattack."

Tepig nodded and Pikachu fired another Thunderbolt. Tepig ran to the side and avoided the attack. Tepig lost his footing but still fired an Ember attack. Pikachu however used the time it took for Tepig to attack to dodge.

"Well, you got the general idea down. You just need to get used to it." Tepig nodded and Pikachu fired another Thunderbolt, Tepig dodging and using Ember almost immediately after. Pikachu dodged quickly and fired another Thunderbolt. Tepig wasn't caught off guard this time and dodged once more and instead of Ember used Tackle, landing a direct hit against Pikachu.

"That was great Tepig!" Ash said, running up to Tepig. Tepig let out a cheer and walked over to Pikachu and thanked him. Pikachu responded with a happy cry. "Let's keep training. We have no idea what our first gym battle will be like, but I'll use you for sure Tepig!" Tepig cheered and went back to training with Pikachu.

Ash smiled at Tepig's enthusiasm, extremely thankful that he was able to get such an ambitious Pokémon. He looked over to where Hilda was training with the two Oshawotts. He saw Hilda's Oshawott continuing to try and master Razor Shell, progressively getting closer and closer. He saw his Oshawott and Hilda continue to support her. Hilda looked over and made eye contact with Ash, surprising him and he quickly looked away, feeling his face heat up for some reason. He returned his attention towards his two Pokémon who were continuing to train.

"Why did I look away though?" Ash mumbled as he watched Pikachu starting to be unable to hit Tepig anymore. At this point, the two Pokémon kept firing attacks at one another, missing and counterattacking. Ash clapped his hands, indicating for the two Pokémon to stop, and they did.

They walked over to him. "That was great Tepig! You're definitely ready for our first Gym battle!" Tepig let out a happy squeal at that. "And thanks buddy, for helping out Tepig." Pikachu gave Ash a smile and cheered.

Ash let the two Pokémon talk and walked over to Hilda and the two Oshawotts. "How's your training going?"

Hilda and the two Pokemon stopped and turned towards Ash. "It's going great! My Oshawott's slowly learning and it's all thanks to your Oshawott."

Ash turned to his Oshawott. "That's good to hear. I'm proud of you buddy." Oshawott's eyes lit up at the praise and started dancing in celebration. Ash, Hilda, Hilda's Oshawott laughed, until the sound of a growling stomach interrupted them. Ash rubbed the back of his head. "Well, it's lunchtime. Whaddya say we make lunch and hit the road?"

The two Oshawotts cheered immediately and Hilda only giggled. The two made their lunches for the Pokémon and themselves and were eating on the cloth, just talking about various things. That is, until a rustle in the bush was heard, then a thud.

"Ow…"

"Who's there?" Ash asked, standing up and walking towards the bush.

"What's that smell!?" A familiar blonde girl jumped up from the bush, startling Ash.

"Bianca?" Hilda said, still sitting on the cloth.

"Hilda!" Ignoring Ash, Bianca raced over to where Hilda was sitting. "Did you make this!?"

Hilda nodded. "Yep, we're having lunch before leaving to Striaton City. But didn't you leave yesterday? Shouldn't you be there already?"

Bianca's face reddened slightly and she twiddled her fingers. "I may have gotten lost…and I ran out of food…but now I found you! You just saved my life!"

Hilda chuckled before giving Bianca half of her lunch. "Here you go Bianca."

Bianca gratefully and happily accepted the food. "You're a lifesaver Hil!" Bianca quickly ate the food given to her at a pace that could almost match Ash. Almost. "Hey, Hil, why's there so much food here? Do you want to get fat or something?"

Hilda immediately shook her head. "Of course not! Ash is traveling with me, you ran by him earlier." Bianca turned around and saw Ash approaching them.

"Oh hello Ash! Didn't see you there." Ash sat back down and finished his lunch with the two girls, all of them talking. "So you two are traveling together?" They both nodded and Bianca gave Hilda a smile. "Aw, how cute."

Hilda sighed. "Please don't start Bianca, I got enough of that from my mom yesterday."

Bianca pouted. "Your mom already beat me to the punch, no fair. Fine, since you did share your lunch with me."

Bianca looked around at their campsite and noticed their Pokémon eating nearby. "Oh wow! You two have a lot of Pokémon!" Bianca pulled out her Pokedex and scanned Gothita. "Is that your Oshawott and Tepig Ash?"

Ash nodded. "The Oshawott was Professor Juniper's and she gave him to me. The Tepig was released by its trainer so it decided to join me."

"Wow, lucky. Hey Ash, want to have a battle with me?" Hilda and Ash looked at her in surprise. "Well, you're an experienced trainer and I feel like if I have a battle with you, I'll learn some things."

Ash nodded and grinned. "Makes sense. I accept!"

A loud clearing of throat was heard as the two turned towards Hilda. "You'll have your battle _after_ we clean up, right?"

The two nodded quickly and helped pack up and Bianca released her Tepig, preparing for the battle while Ash and Hilda packed up and returned their Pokémon. Soon Ash and Bianca were standing across from one another. Hilda was at the side with her Oshawott in her arms.

"Is a two on two battle fine?" Bianca asked. Ash nodded and Bianca sent out her first Pokémon. "Tepig, I choose you!"

Ash looked at Pikachu was standing by his side. "You're up Pikachu!" Pikachu nodded and rand in front of Ash.

Bianca contained the grin on her face. She knew that Pikachu was strong, but she's been training at the Battle Club and has a few tricks up her sleeve. "Tepig, Ember!"

Bianca's Tepig shot out a massive storm of fire pellets towards Pikachu. Ash was surprised at how many fire pellets were being shot. "Quick Attack!" Ash called out. Using the sudden burst of speed, Pikachu dodged the Ember and charged straight at Tepig.

Pikachu was directly in Tepig's line of sight. "Ember again!" Bianca called out once Pikachu was closer. Tepig immediately released more pellets of Fire, each hitting Pikachu who had no time to react. Pikachu had collided with the pellets and was sent flying back a bit, burn marks over his body.

"Pikachu! Are you alright?" Pikachu stood up and let out a cry. Ash let out a sigh of relief. "Good. Use Thunderbolt!"

"Counter with another Ember!" Bianca called out once again and the two attacks collided, resulting in an explosion to see neither attack had overpowered the other.

Ash gritted his teeth, as he was unable to land a single hit against Bianca. Her Ember was stronger than most Ember attacks. "Volt Tackle!" If there was a move that could get through her Ember, it was that move. The move that felled two legends.

Bianca, however, had a counter. "Tepig, use Flame Charge!" Ash blinked as Bianca called out the unfamiliar attack. Tepig started running, but unlike Pikachu who was enveloped in electricity, Tepig was enveloped by flames. The two Pokémon collided head first, both struggling for dominance.

There was soon an explosion and when the smoke cleared, they saw Tepig standing, sparks flying around his body and with several bruises. Pikachu on the other hand was struggling to stand, extremely hurt from the close Ember attack, the Flame Charge, and the recoil from Volt Tackle.

Ash figured he should forfeit Pikachu. "Pikachu, return!" Ash called out. He walked over to Pikachu when all of a sudden there was a loud cry and a blur. Pikachu was hit by a fast, direct attack and sent flying into Ash's arms, now unconscious. "Pikachu!" Ash exclaimed.

Bianca and Hilda gasped and they saw the culprit on the battlefield. It was a Purrloin, standing on its hind legs. It was covered in various bruises but it just glared at Ash and Pikachu. Hilda pulled out her Pokedex to scan it.

 _Purrloin. The Devious Pokémon. Purrloin is a Dark Type Pokémon. Their cute act is a ruse. They trick people and steal their valuables just to see the looks on their faces._

The Purrloin then ran off into the forest. "Hey!" Ash shouted. He then looked at Pikachu who was unconscious and extremely hurt.

Hilda returned her Oshawott and released Lillipup. "Lillipup, a Purrloin attacked Pikachu out of nowhere. Help me find it."

"Wait Hilda!" Hilda, who was about to chase after it, stopped at Ash's voice. She turned towards him and saw him healing Pikachu with a Potion. "That Purrloin, it was N's."

"N's? But didn't you say it just appeared out of nowhere, making it a wild Pokémon?"

"But for a wild Pokémon to come into the city and battle for a trainer, it's clear that it really liked N. And I guess it must be mad at me for beating it in a battle."

"But revenge isn't going to solve anything!" Hilda exclaimed.

"I know, I just wanted to let you know so you didn't do anything rash," Ash then chuckled. "This sounds really weird coming from my mouth."

Hilda giggled. "It does. Now if you don't mind, I'm going after it!" Before Hilda could say anything, she ran off into the forest chasing the Purrloin.

Bianca, who just watched the conversation that took place, had no idea what was going on, but smiled slightly. The two were surprisingly similar. She watched as Ash healed Pikachu. "Is there anything I can help with Ash?"

Ash shook his head. "Nah, all Pikachu needs is some rest at this point."

"What attack could do so much damage to Pikachu? For a wild Pokémon from around here, it's strange."

Ash thought about it. It was also strange to him as well. It could have been Sucker Punch, he supposed. But he didn't remember N using Sucker Punch against him and Sucker Punch only worked if an attack was called. He was returning a Pokémon instead.

* * *

Hilda was following Lillipup who had found the Purrloin's scent and the two were on its trail. "Where did it go?" Hilda wondered ash they continued running through bushes. The twigs were not doing her bare legs any favours.

The two soon heard a cry of pain in nearby and soon found the Purrloin being attacked by a Patrat. The Patrat had was baring its teeth, ready to attack. "Lillipup, use Tackle!" Lillipup ran straight at the Patrat and landed a direct hit. The Patrat, seeing it was outnumbered, ran away into the bushes. Hilda let out a sigh of relief before turning to the Purrloin. The Purrloin was seriously injured, to the point where it was trying to stand but couldn't.

"Hey there," Hilda said, crouching down. "Are you N's Purrloin?" The Purrloin looked away at the mention of her friend's name. "You must have cared for him deeply. I understand why you attacked Pikachu like that, but you can't blame them."

The Purrloin closed its eyes and understood that this trainer's words were true. The Purrloin just missed her friend and blamed the male trainer for the reason her friend didn't take her with him.

The Purrloin felt itself being picked up. It opened its eyes and saw the trainer holding her. "Your injuries are very serious. You must have been attacked by numerous wild Pokémon, huh? We should get you to a Pokémon Center as soon as possible."

Hilda carried the Purrloin who was surprised that Hilda was going to help her, after attacking Hilda's friend. Purrloin couldn't stay conscious anymore and fell asleep. Hilda followed Lillipup, who knew the way back.

Soon Hilda entered the familiar clearing and saw Ash, Bianca, and Pikachu. Pikachu was currently sleeping, similar to the Purrloin in her arms. "You found it," Ash said.

Hilda nodded and approached Ash. "It's really hurt, I don't think Potions alone can help it," Hilda said, looking at the Purrloin worriedly.

"We should take it to a Pokémon Center then," Ash said. Hilda nodded, her thoughts exactly. "But how far are we from Striaton City?"

Bianca approached the two. "I just looked it up, and it's not more than a ten minute walk from here!"

The two trainers looked relieved at that. Hilda returned her Lillipup and the trio started to head towards Striaton City, eager to heal their Pokémon. "I'm surprised you knew this was N's Purrloin Ash," Hilda said.

Ash shrugged. "I just guessed. Can't believe I was right though."

"Wait, you just guessed?" Hilda asked, giving Ash an incredulous look. "Do you have any idea how awkward it would be if you were wrong!?"

"Awkward? Hilda, Purrloin's a Pokémon…"

"So? Pokémon are practically people!"

"Um, what? Hil, Pokémon are Pokémon," Bianca said, joining the conversation.

Before Hilda could reply, there was an explosion directly in front of them. "What was that!?" Bianca shouted, coughing from the smoke.

"What a question, twerpish indeed!" A familiar female voice echoed through the air.

"We'll answer these questions as we feel the need!" A familiar male voice echoed.

"Bringing the blinding white light of evil into the future!"

"Thrusting the hammer of justice down onto the black darkness of the universe!"

"Carving our names in the Rock of Eternity!" A voice that didn't sound quite human echoed.

"The fiery destroyer, Jessie!"

"And with thunderous emotion, I am James!"

"Wisest of the wise, Meowth!"

"All now gather under the name of Team Rocket!"

"Wobbuffet!"

The smoke had cleared and the trainers looked up and saw a hot air balloon. Ash and Hilda noticed two Pokémon missing from their arms. "Give Pikachu and Purrloin back! Their seriously hurt!" Ash exclaimed.

"Hurt?" The trio looked down at the two Pokémon that were in a glass box. They were unconscious with bruises.

"What should we do Jessie?" James asked.

"Hm, Pikachu wouldn't be a good present for the boss in this condition," Jessie said.

"Should we give them back, let them be healed, then steal them again?" James asked.

"No you idiots!" The two looked at Meowth. "Imagine, if we healed them ourselves. The two Pokémon would be so grateful to us that they will like us more than the twerps! We then give them to the boss."

The two humans were listening intently to Meowth. "He'll be on a tough mission, all his Pokémon down for the count. But then, two Pokémon jump on his shoulders, loyal to the end in perfect condition. They take down every single one of his enemies and then he'd say: 'Boy, these two Pokémon are so healthy and strong! And to think, if it weren't for Meowth and his friends I would have lost. A promotion is in order!'" Meowth finished his vision of what would happen and the trio began to break into song, flying away in their hot air balloon into the forest, ignoring the trainer's shouts.

Purrloin later woke up to find itself still in pain. It looked to its side and saw the familiar Pikachu that clearly loved Ash as much as she loved N. Looking at Pikachu sleeping, and how injured he was, made Purrloin feel a pang of regret for attacking it.

Pikachu woke up just then and the two Pokémon met eye contact. To Purrloin's surprise, Pikachu didn't seem to be angry. Purrloin decided to apologize for its actions and Pikachu responded by patting Purrloin on the back and looking around. They were currently in a cage inside a cave, no doubt the cage was made of a sturdy material.

Pikachu stood up and his tail glowed. Pikachu hit the metal bars with his glowing tail, but the bars were made of a sturdy material like the two Pokémon thought. Purrloin tried to break the bars with its claws, but failed as well.

"They're awake!" The two Pokémon turned around and saw Team Rocket. "No need to worry, we're going to heal you up!" James said. James was holding a box full of bottles, potions, and needles.

"Of course, you'll be in the care of me, Jessie, former nurse!" Jessie said, pulling out one of the potions from the box. Pikachu responded by making his cheeks spark, indication of a Thunderbolt.

Meowth shook his head. "I wouldn't do that if I were you, after all you may accidentally hurt little Purrloin."

Pikachu stopped and looked at Purrloin. The cage was small so he would have hit Purrloin and put it in an even more dire condition.

"Now then, let's see your wounds," Jessie said, opening the cage slowly. Purrloin responded by scratching Jessie in the face. "AH! You naughty little thing! We'll show you what happens to bad patients!" Jessie grabbed the Purrloin and detained its claws. Purrloin struggled to get out of Jessie's grip. Before Pikachu could react, James closed the cage.

Jessie brought Purrloin to a table and Meowth held Purrloin down. "Don't worry pal, we're gonna patch you right up!" Meowth gave Purrloin what he tried to make as a reassuring smile but it ended up making Purrloin struggle even more.

"Meowth! Stop looking at it with such a scary face!" Jessie exclaimed.

Meowth glared at her and rebutted. "Look who's talkin'!"

"There they are!" The trio turned towards the entrance and saw the three trainers with a Lillipup in front of them.

Hilda looked at the cave, saw Pikachu in a cage and Purrloin on a table. "What are you going to do to Purrloin!?"

"We were going to heal it into tip top shape. Then it'll realize who it can really count on!" James said, gripping a Pokeball.

"I wouldn't trust you guys to heal any Pokémon," Bianca exclaimed, unknowingly shattering Jessie's heart.

"How dare you, you rude brat!" Jessie stepped away from the table and threw a Pokeball in the air. "Seviper!"

"Oshawott!" Ash sent out his Oshawott.

"Carnivine!" James called out.

"Lillipup!" Bianca sent out a Lillipup, surprising Ash and Hilda.

"You have one two Bianca?" Hilda asked.

Bianca winked at Hilda. "Yep! Isn't she a cutie?"

"Hilda, we'll handle them. You go get Purrloin and Pikachu!" Ash said, to which Hilda nodded and with Lillipup ran towards Pikachu's cage.

"I can't open it," Hilda said, trying different ways to open it. "What is this thing made of?"

"Step away from the cage twerp!" Hilda turned around and saw the cat Pokémon that was somehow able to talk.

"What Pokémon are you?" Hilda pulled out her Pokedex.

 _Meowth. The Scratch Cat Pokémon. Meowth is a Normal Type Pokémon. It is nocturnal in nature. If it spots something shiny, its eyes glitter brightly._

Hilda put away her Pokedex. "You're not nocturnal, and you can talk. Are you a special Meowth or something?"

Meowth grinned. "I'm the most special Meowth there is! And that Pikachu is the most special Pikachu there is, so step away if you don't want to get hurt," Meowth's claws had grown and glowed.

Lillipup stepped in front of Hilda, growling at Meowth. "Tackle!" Hilda called out. Lillipup raced towards Meowth, who swung his claws, aiming to strike Lillipup. "Duck!" Lillipup ducked and avoided the attack and delivered a direct Tackle. Meowth's eyes widened as he was knocked into James.

"Ah! Meowth!"

"Lillipup, use Bite!" This time it was Bianca's Lillipup who attacked and bit James' Carnivine, knocking it into Seviper.

"Now Oshawott, use Razor Shell!" Ash called out. Ash's Oshawott charged straight at the two vulnerable Pokémon with his scalchop, and hit both of them.

Hilda went up to Purrloin who was tied down to the table and released it. "There, you're free." The Purrloin tried to stand but failed, still hurt. "Be careful!" Hilda exclaimed, catching Purrloin before it fell. She lifted the Purrloin and carried it in her arms.

"Now to get Pikachu out of there…I know!" Hilda returned Lillipup and sent out Gothita. "Gothita, use Confusion on the bars!" Gothita nodded and did just that, bending the bars. Pikachu finished the job with an Iron Tail, breaking the now bent bars.

Pikachu thanked her before running over to Ash and jumping on his shoulder. "Hey buddy, good to see you!" Using the reunion, the Rocket trio slipped away and outside of the cage, hoping to get away. "Oh no you don't!" Ash ran after them and saw them quickly escaping in their balloon. Ash looked at Pikachu and the two nodded. "Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!"

Pikachu jumped off of Ash's shoulder and released a Thunderbolt, hitting the balloon and Team Rocket, resulting in a familiar explosion.

"All I wanted was to become friends with them!" James exclaimed, flying in an odd position.

"No promotion…" Meowth whined.

"How dare that brat insult my nursing skills!?" Jessie shouted in anger, making her two comrades sweat drop.

"WE'RE BLASTING OFF AGAIN!"

Pikachu landed on the ground with grace, before collapsing. "Pikachu!" Ash ran up to Pikachu and picked him up.

"We should get to the Pokémon Center immediately," Bianca said. Ash and Hilda nodded, returning their Pokémon before heading off to Striaton City, carrying two injured Pokémon.

* * *

 **I…may have forgotten about Bianca when writing the end. See, this is what would happen if they have a third traveling companion. I would just forget about them and have to hastily add them or go and edit them in earlier. I'm actually surprised that I was able to write this much for Route 2. I was expecting not even half of the chapter to cover everything I wanted before Striaton but I proved myself wrong.**

 **Questions for readers. 1. Trip. Do you want Trip from the anime in here? I was planning on making him appear, but I'm just not sure how to go about his character.**

 **2\. Do you guys mind if I have more than 4 moves for a Pokémon? I was planning on having Pikachu learn Electro Ball like in the anime, but I don't want him to forget Volt Tackle. A Pokémon won't have 50 moves, just 5-7.**

 **Thanks for reading!**


	6. Different Types of Situations

**Reviews!**

 **kaiser . dinasty:** **You never watched the Unova anime? Consider yourself lucky…okay, that's a bit harsh. It had very good animation, characters were decent. The execution just wasn't the best. But if Pikachu seems weak in my fic, then you don't even want to imagine the Unova saga. I'll explain in response to another review about the Tepig vs Pikachu fight so just keep reading!**

 **Martyn:** **Wasn't planning on adding OC's and if I did, they would be love rivals for Ash and Hilda. Unova's going to be strictly Unova Pokémon based. Of course, Team Rocket has used non-Unova Pokémon but that's because they don't have any Unova Pokémon yet and since they were fighting Ash with no one around, it was alright for them to use non-Unova Pokémon. And having a whole chapter based on Ash with a blobby belly is kinda ridiculous xD**

 **Guest:** **That is true, Trip did have a lot of depth to him.**

 **rusty32536:** **I'm going to start with your Trip statement. If Trip enters, I'm not sure if I'll have him lose right away, since his ego is an important factor in his character development since he's just like Paul, but less...everything.**

 **I did say that Pikachu would carry his strength. But that doesn't mean I'm going to make him obliterate everyone in Unova. What I did was make Pikachu take an Ember directly in the face when he used Quick Attack. In the anime, when a Pokémon is hit while moving fast, they tend to take more damage (or that may be me just imagining things) so getting hit in the face by Ember is gonna hurt. Then there was Flame Charge vs Volt Tackle. Flame Charge caught Ash and Pikachu off guard and the two attacks collided, causing both Pokémon to take damage. My experiences with Volt Tackle made the recoil take a good amount of HP from my Raichu. So combine recoil with the direct Ember attack and the Flame Charge, Pikachu wasn't knocked out, but would have lost if continued.**

 **Then there's Bianca's Tepig. In the anime, Ash lost against the Nacrene Gym Leader. As a result, he had to train and he trained at the Battle Club. While training, his Tepig and Oshawott gained a surge of power and learned two new attacks. Bianca, having arrived earlier than Ash and Hilda, trained at the Accumula Battle Club properly, unlike Ash and Hilda who just had one battle then left. This gave her Tepig a significant power boost.**

 **Then there's Volt Tackle, the move that felled two Legends. Both times, Pikachu was in a bind. It felt like a Blaze/Overgrow/Torrent, but for Pikachu, where if his health was low he would get a power boost. Pikachu used determination to pull off those victories. It was a last resort for two, very important battles.**

 **While Thunderbolt wasn't used, I just want to make it clear: Thunderbolt would NOT have knocked out Tepig. I can't recall a moment where Ash's Thunderbolt One-hit KO'd a Pokémon ever. And with Tepig's extra endurance from the Battle Club training, it wouldn't have been defeated.**

 **And last, Pikachu is not invincible. In the games, when a Pokémon evolves they keep their stats and keep increasing them (with a few exceptions). In the anime, they use the Pokémon's physique to determine their stats. Example would be Ash's Turtwig. Turtwig was a swift, small grass type but when he evolved into Grotle, he became much slower and had to adjust to his body. Pikachu is a small Pokémon, and thus can't take as much hits as an evolved Pokémon could. There are Pokémon in the anime who are small but can take many hits, such as Ash's Tailow and Totodile, but they aren't invincible and levels don't exist anymore in the anime. Even then, in the games you can easily one-shot a Pikachu level 88 with a level 40 Pokémon. The Snivy vs Pikachu battle was really stupid, I'll agree. If Ash and Cheren continued their battle, Ash would have won by a landslide. I hope this justifies and explains the Pikachu vs Tepig for you and everyone. I would have normally replied via PM but this is something I want people to understand. Main point though, Pikachu is not invincible and overpowered. It is my fault for not going into detail about Bianca training at the Battle Club, so I apologize for not making that clear.**

 **Moderator:** **XD**

 **ShadeZyro:** **That's one aspect I miss a lot about Team Rocket. Their completely wrong fantasies! Yeah, Trip was important in the Unova anime. Though the final battle between the two was so anticlimactic and disappointing.**

 **magical fan18:** **That makes sense, though it depends on the Pokémon. Like Pikachu, I'm just going to have him have offensive moves (though I may bring back Agility).**

 **ASD Pokemon Fan:** **I was thinking about a love rival for both Ash and Hilda, not sure who. I don't think I should focus too much on that at the moment though. Legendaries and the ending is** ** _faaaar_** **from now so I'll worry about that when the time comes. I suppose it's a bit immature, though I think I've been doing a decent job making it anime rating. Iris will appear for sure, just not sure if I'll give her her anime personality or her game personality or merge the two. The plot has barely started and we're only 6 chapters in, but I get what you mean and thanks for the review!**

 **Guest:** **My reply to** ** _rusty32536_** **should explain everything.**

 **Guest:** **Yeah, I get what you mean. Thanks!**

 **UpbeatButNegative:** **What can I say? I like Oshawott XD. I was actually curious so I did Ctrl F and searched Oshawott...and I used the word 84 times! At least someone understands! Results of Battle Club Training and Pikachu's poor defense caused Pikachu to be 'defeated.' Game mechanics? That sounds good, but what exactly? I would love to hear your input! Of course no Pokémon is going to have more than 10 moves. Moves like Ember are just going to be upgraded so Ember to Flamethrower. Lillipup was the first Pokémon I caught in Black and White, then again I'm sure that's the case with a lot of people. I love the Lillipup line. I missed Team Rocket's boss fantasies too. It gave them so much character and Black and White took it all away. He would be in it for anime purposes and I do have a new role for him other than just another rival. Thank you for the review, again!**

 **Chris:** **Thank you so much! I think you're giving me a bit too much credit here, but I appreciate it nonetheless! If an OC just appears randomly and takes too much of the spotlight, yeah I don't like them either. But if they're used right and aren't the center of attention, I don't mind them much. Pokémon Black is my favourite Pokémon game so I get to familiarize myself with it for this story and have fun playing it. The two reasons I'm playing it over again is so I have a general idea of when I should evolve some Pokémon and for the events and dialogue. I am glad my hard work is getting noticed and that people are indeed enjoying it. I wouldn't be writing a story if I didn't want people to read it, so all thanks go to the readers and reviewers. I actually received three reviews from you, though your third review was the same as your second review but was missing some words so I decided to just let your first two reviews be shown. I'm having fun writing this story, and just hearing things people like about it makes me happy so I do my best to please people. Thank you so much for reviewing!**

* * *

The trio had finally entered Striaton City, but instead of looking at the various sights they headed straight to the Pokémon Center. They found the Pokémon Center fairly quickly because there was a large spinning sign with a Pokeball logo that symbolized the Pokémon Center. They received strange looks as they rushed through the city with two injured Pokémon in their arms.

"Nurse Joy!" Ash shouted the moment the three entered the Pokémon Center. They received looks but didn't care as they raced to the counter.

"Oh my, those Pokémon are really hurt! Audino!" Nurse Joy called, the moment she saw Purrloin and Pikachu's condition. Two Audinos appeared pushing two carts. "Quickly, put them on this." Ash and Hilda obeyed right away and Pikachu and Purrloin were taken away by the Audinos.

"Will they be alright Nurse Joy?" Hilda asked.

Nurse Joy nodded. "Don't worry, it will take some time to heal them but they'll be fine by tomorrow. Before I go help them out, is there any Pokémon you would like to heal?" Ash, Hilda, and Bianca gave Nurse Joy their Pokémon to heal and went to sit at a table.

"Man, now my shoulder feels cold," Ash said, adjusting his hat.

Hilda shook her head. "Pikachu's injured and all you can think about is your shoulder?"

Ash laughed. "I'm worried about them, yeah. But Pikachu's tougher than he looks." Memories of Lake Acuity from Sinnoh flooded Ash's mind but he immediately shook those thoughts out.

"He is really strong for a Pikachu, but how come he hasn't evolved?" Bianca asked.

"Pikachu requires something called a Thunderstone to evolve. I…lost mine, but it doesn't matter. He doesn't want to evolve anyways and I'm fine with that," Ash then grinned. "Besides, he'd be so heavy he'd break my shoulder!"

Hilda and Bianca laughed but were soon called up to the counter for their Pokémon. "Thank you Nurse Joy!" Hilda put her Pokeballs in her bag. "But how did you get here so fast? You were in Accumula Town the last time I saw you."

Nurse Joy blinked before realizing the misunderstanding. "Oh, you must mean my younger sister."

Hilda and Bianca blinked. "Sister?"

Nurse Joy nodded before pulling out a photo. "These are all my sisters in the Unova Region." Hilda and Bianca's eyes widened at the amount is Nurse Joys in the picture.

"Those are all your sisters!?" Hilda asked, only seeing height differences and the colour of the sign on their Nurse's Cap.

"That's right, and that's the one you met in Accumula Town," Nurse Joy pointed to one of them. Hilda and Bianca only nodded.

"So are the Nurse Joys in Kanto your sisters as well?" Ash asked.

Nurse Joy turned towards him. "So you're from Kanto? That explains the Pikachu. But no, they are my cousins." Ash nodded slowly. "Now if you excuse me, I would like to check up on those Pokémon you brought in." Nurse Joy hurriedly went into the emergency room.

The three trainers exited the Pokémon Center. "We're finally in Striaton City," Hilda looked around them at the tall buildings. They thought Accumula Town was big, Striaton City was on a whole other level.

"Normally I would challenge the gym, but what if it's a three on three battle?" Ash said, folding his arms.

"Then why don't Hilda and I go challenge the gym and you watch Ash?" Bianca suggested. Ash thought about it before agreeing.

"Where's the gym though?" Hilda asked, expecting Ash to pull out his map, but she then remembered Ash lost the map. "I guess we should ask someone." She saw a man with green hair walk by. "Excuse me! Do you know where the Striaton City Gym is?"

The man turned around. He was wearing some sort of waiter uniform and was carrying a bag of groceries. "Oh, I'm heading there right now. Would you like me to take you there?" He had a nice, professional voice.

Hilda nodded then looked over to her two companions. "Ash! Bianca! This man is going to lead us to the gym!" Hilda then looked over to the man. "Um, what is your name sir?"

The man bowed. "My name is Cilan, it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

"I'm Hilda! That guy is Ash and that girl is Bianca. We're all starting our journey here," Hilda introduced all of them as Ash and Bianca approached them.

"Oh? Started? What Pokémon did you choose as your starter?" Cilan asked.

"I chose Oshawott!" Hilda exclaimed, pulling out Oshawott's Pokeball.

"And I chose Tepig," Bianca pulled out Tepig's Pokeball.

Cilan looked closely at the Pokeballs. "Even though they are in their Pokeballs, I can sense their love towards you." Cilan then looked at Ash. "And what was your starter?"

Ash rubbed the back of his head. "It was a Pikachu, but he's currently in the Pokémon Center."

Cilan looked surprised. "A Pikachu? How rare! I would love to see him once he heals." Ash nodded and soon they were in front of a restaurant.

"Wow, is this a 5 star restaurant!?" Bianca asked excitedly.

Cilan nodded. "I was wondering if you three would like something to eat, it's on me."

Ash and Bianca agreed immediately while Hilda looked at Cilan suspiciously. "But why? You just met us and no doubt is it expensive here."

Cilan smiled at Hilda. "Consider it as a gift for starting your Pokémon journey."

Hilda still didn't believe Cilan. "Come on Hil! It's free food!" Bianca said, pulling Hilda inside the restaurant with Ash following.

When they entered, they saw a blue-haired man approach them with a similar, if not exact, outfit as Cilan's. "Cress, a table for three please," Cilan said.

The man, Cress, looked at Cilan then at the three trainers. He grew a small smile before nodding. He bowed to the three. "Please, follow me."

The trainers sat at a table and soon another waiter approached them. This waiter had red-coloured hair. "What would you three like?"

Before Bianca and Ash could list their orders, Hilda cut them off. "I'm sorry, but we were looking for the gym. Not this restaurant. Come on Bianca, Ash."

"What? But Hil! Free food!" Bianca exclaimed.

"What if he ends up giving us the bill in the end!?" Hilda replied. "This is a bit _too_ generous. Who offers someone a meal at a 5 star restaurant?"

Ash sighed and stood up from his seat. "As much as I would love to have some of their food, I'm more interested in the gym."

Bianca sighed, seeing as it was 2 against 1. "Fine, let's find the gym and have our battles."

"A gym battle!?" The three trainers stopped as they saw all eyes on them. Everyone who was eating just stopped eating and stared at them.

"Oh boy we get to see Chili fight!"

"Cress is going to wreck them!"

"Cilan's going to pass judgement!"

The three trainers were confused to say the least. The lights had turned off and the three waiters were standing in front of a large curtain. The spotlight landed on Cilan. "Welcome, trainers, to the Striaton City Gym!"

Ash, Hilda, and Bianca were speechless. Cress stepped forward. "In order to challenge us you will need to solve our puzzle."

Ash tilted his head. "Puzzle?"

Chili stepped forward this time. "This is to test your knowledge on Pokémon Types! Good luck!" The three waiters went behind the curtains with all the customers following them. The three trainers looked at each other before stepping forward to open the curtains.

"Stop right there!" Chili's voice echoed through a speaker. "In order to open the curtains, you will need to choose the type that is super effective against the type on the curtain!"

The trainers looked at the curtain and noticed a flame symbol. On the ground were three buttons with three different symbols. "Oh, this is easy," Ash said with a grin. Hilda on the other hand had a confused expression.

"Um, Ash?" Ash turned to Hilda. "What are Pokémon Types?"

Ash blinked. It was so silent you could hear the trainer's breathing. "You don't know what Pokémon Types are!?" Hilda shook her head. Ash scratched the back of his head. "Well, types determine how much damage your Pokémon will take from an attack. A Pokémon who is weak to a certain type of attack will take more damage and a Pokémon who is resistant to a certain type will take less damage," Ash explained.

Hilda nodded. "Okay, that makes sense. So, how many types are there?"

"Um, there's Fire, Grass, Water, Electric, Rock, Ground, Steel, Ice, Dark, Psychic, Bug, Poison, Ghost, Flying, Normal, Fighting, and Dragon," Ash said, listing them from memory.

Hilda, on the hard time, had a hard time memorizing them. "That's a lot…how do you know which types are effective against another?"

Ash shrugged. "I just remember. Your Pokedex should tell you."

Bianca spoke next. "There's also the basic Rock-Paper-Scissors ones. Grass beats Water, Water beats Fire, and Fire beats Grass." Ash nodded and Hilda furrowed her brows.

She looked back at the buttons, then at the curtain. "So do I press the tear symbol, since Water beats Fire?" Ash nodded and Hilda stood on top of the button with the tear. They heard a ding and the curtains opened.

"That was easy," Ash said, walking into the next room. The next room had another curtain and this time the symbol was a feather. On the ground the three symbols were a lightning bolt, a leaf, and an eyeball.

"So does that represent a Flying Type?" Hilda asked.

"Seems like it," Ash responded.

"So…what beats Flying?"

Bianca looked at all three symbols. "Psychic maybe?"

Hilda looked at Ash, waiting for him to confirm. "Electric beats Flying," Ash stated.

Bianca pouted while Hilda nodded and stepped on the lightning-bolt button, opening the door once again. There was another curtain, this one having a leaf symbol on it. The ground had a flame, a tear, and a leaf symbol.

"Oh, I know this one! It's Fire!" Without asking Ash, Hilda stepped on it and the curtains opened.

Instead of seeing a battlefield or the gym leaders, they saw a stairway. The three headed on downwards and were greeted by an underground battlefield. The battlefield was a rocky one with different sizes of rocks. There were bleachers on two sides. One side had all the customers. The other side was empty. The three waiters were standing on the other side of the battlefield.

"Let us properly introduce ourselves," Cilan said. "I am Cilan, leader of the Striaton City Gym."

"And I'm Chili, leader of the Striaton City Gym."

"And last, but not least, I am Cress, leader of the Striaton City Gym."

Ash furrowed his brow. "Three gym leaders?"

Cress stepped forward. "That's right. We will choose who your opponent shall be. Who would like to battle first?"

Hilda and Bianca looked at each other. "Let's decide with a coin," Bianca said. "Just like old times."

Hilda nodded and pulled out a coin. "I pick Zekrom, you pick Reshiram." Hilda flipped the coin in the air, caught it, and slapped it on her hand. It was Reshiram.

"Yes! I'm going first!" Bianca cheered, running up to the trainer box. Ash and Hilda went over to the bleachers.

The three waiters looked at each other, before nodding. Chili went to the side, Cress went to the trainer box, and Cilan went over to the referee box. "This will be a two on two Pokémon battle! Only the trainer is allowed to substitute Pokémon!" Cilan shouted.

"May I ask for your name?" Cress asked.

"I'm Bianca from Nuvema Town! Nice to meet you!" Bianca cheerfully introduced herself.

Cress nodded. "Likewise. Let us have a magnificent battle. Lillipup!" Cress threw a Pokeball and the Pokémon that had appeared was the familiar puppy Pokémon.

Bianca pulled out a Pokeball from her bag. "I choose you Tepig!" Bianca threw her Pokeball into the air and Tepig appeared.

Everyone was surprised at her action. "Her Tepig already?" Hilda asked.

"She must have some kind of plan," Ash stated, though not entirely sure himself.

"You may have the first move," Cress said.

Bianca nodded. "Tepig, use Tackle!" Tepig ran straight towards Lillipup.

Cress brushed back his bangs, though that didn't really do anything aside from getting the girls on the sideline to squeal. "Use Bite."

Lillipup bared his fangs and dodged Tepig at the last second and bit Tepig. "Tepig! Use Ember!" Using the close distance between them to her advantage, Tepig shot out pellets of fire at Lillipup, landing a direct hit.

Lillipup was knocked back and had burn marks. "Lillipup, use Work Up!" Cress called out.

Lillipup barked and glowed slightly. "What's Work Up?" Ash asked aloud. Hilda shrugged.

Cress spoke and answered their question. "Work Up raises a Pokémon's attack. Tackle!" Lillipup charged at Tepig this time.

"Keep it away from you! Use Ember!" Bianca shouted. Tepig fired Ember at Lillipup but Lillipup used the rocks to his advantage and hid behind them.

"You can do that!?" Hilda asked surprised.

Ash nodded. "In a Pokémon battle the field is important. If you were fighting on a volcano, you wouldn't want to fight with a Pokémon that can't handle the heat."

Hilda sweat dropped. "Who would fight on a volcano? But I understand." The two returned their attention to the battle, watching as Lillipup drew closer to Tepig, using the rocks as a shield.

"This isn't going anywhere," Bianca said aloud. "Oh what the heck! Tepig! Charge at Lillipup with Flame Charge!" The sudden command surprised everyone in the room, Tepig included. Tepig then nodded and charged at the rock Lillipup was behind.

Cress regained his composure quickly. "Use Tackle!" Lillipup broke through the rocks and charged at Tepig to meet the attack head on. The two small Pokémon collided head first, resulting in an explosion with smoke covering them. The smoke soon cleared and both Pokémon were lying on the ground, unconscious.

Cilan looked carefully at the two Pokémon before crossing his flags. "Both Lillipup and Tepig are unable to battle! Trainers, please send out your next Pokémon!"

Bianca pouted. "Aww! I was sure that would work! Oh well," she returned Tepig to her Pokeball. "You did great! Now then," Bianca pulled out another Pokeball from her bag and threw it. "You're up, Lillipup!" Bianca's own Lillipup emerged, looking determined as any Lillipup.

"It is time for you to make an appearance; Panpour!" Cress sent out a blue-coloured monkey on the field.

"Panpour?" Ash asked, pulling out his Pokedex.

 _Panpour. The Spray Pokémon. Panpour is a Water Type Pokémon._ _The water stored inside the tuft on its head is full of nutrients. It waters plants with it using its tail._

"Wow, what a neat Pokémon!" Ash exclaimed, looking at it with admiration.

Hilda on the other hand frowned. Unlike Ash who had no knowledge of Unova, she had some. And she knew that there were three Pokémon known as the elemental monkeys. Before, she just thought they had different specialties but now that she knows about Pokémon types, there may have been more to this gym then they thought.

"I'll take the first move if you don't mind. Work Up," Cress said as Panpour began to glow.

"Oh no! Lillipup use Bite!" Lillipup raced towards Panpour with its teeth showing.

"Water Gun," Cress said calmly. Panpour's tuft glowed as it shot out a huge torrent of Water Gun towards Lillipup, hitting it directly and sending it flying into a rock.

"Lillipup!" Bianca exclaimed as she watched Lillipup get back up with bruises. Bianca let out a sigh of relief. "Bite again!" Lillipup once again charged at the Panpour.

Cress flicked his bangs, causing more squeals . "Water Gun." Panpour once again shot a torrent of water at Lillipup, who managed to dodge quickly, but was hit by another one right away.

Hilda watched the battle and put a finger on her chin. "This seems very familiar."

Ash looked at her. "Huh? How so?"

"The way Panpour is attacking Lillipup from far away and Lillipup struggling to get close," Hilda said. "Now all we need is for Bianca to-"

"Lillipup, use the rocks as shields to get closer!"

"…do that."

"Now that you mention it, it is kinda like Tepig vs Lillipup," Ash said, agreeing with Hilda. They watched as Lillipup did what Cress's Lillipup did before.

"That won't work on me, use Dig!" Cress called out. Lillipup finally arrived where Panpour was once standing, only to see nothing but a hole in the ground.

"Where'd it go!?" Bianca exclaimed, looking around to no avail. Out of the ground from below, Panpour appeared and got a direct hit against Lillipup. "Lillipup! Are you okay?"

Lillipup struggled to stand and had various bruises. Cress flicked his bangs once more. "Dig."

Panpour once again disappeared and Bianca bit her lip. "What can I do if it comes from below again?" Everyone was silent, tension in the air as they were all waiting for Panpour's next move.

"Hey Ash," Hilda asked, still looking at the battlefield. "Why doesn't Bianca have her Lillipup use Dig as well?"

"Not all Pokémon know the same moves. Our Oshawotts are a good example. Mine knows Fury Cutter; yours doesn't," Ash explained. "There's general moves that Pokémon will always learn, but then there's special moves that some Pokémon have that others don't, like your Lillipup and Dig." Hilda nodded in understanding, watching Bianca and Lillipup.

Out of nowhere, Panpour appeared from below the ground, but not from below but rather behind. Panpour shot a Water Gun straight at Lillipup, sending it flying into another rock and knocking it out.

Cilan looked carefully at Lillipup and raised a flag towards Cress. "Lillipup is unable to battle! With one Pokémon remaining, the victor is the Gym Leader!"

Cress gave a smile and returned his Panpour. "Well done Panpour."

Bianca returned her Lillipup. "Thanks, you did well." Bianca sighed and pouted and kicked a rock. "Aw man! I thought we had him!"

"You did well for a new trainer," Cress complimented Bianca. Bianca thanked him for the battle and left to heal her Pokémon.

Cilan then walked over to the trainer box with Chili in the referee box. "Are you ready Hilda?" Ash asked. Hilda gave Ash a grin and nodded before running over to the trainer box.

"This will be a two on two battle!" Chili shouted. "Only the challenger is allowed to substitute Pokémon! Battle begin!"

"I cannot wait to see what type of bond you have with your Pokémon!" Cilan exclaimed, putting a hand over his heart. "So let's get this started!" Cilan tossed a Pokeball in the air and a familiar puppy Pokémon emerged.

"Another Lillipup?" Ash said, having seen the little puppy Pokémon quite a lot recently.

Hilda threw her own Pokeball out. "Oshawott!" Once again, everyone was surprised by her choosing her starter first.

"You may have the first move," Cilan said, giving Hilda a smile.

Hilda nodded. "Water Gun!" Oshawott immediately shot a torrent of water towards Cilan's Lillipup.

"Dig!" Cilan shouted immediately.

Hilda hid a smile as she knew exactly how to counter it, as her own Lillipup used that same attack against her. She saw Oshawott acting calm as well.

But Cilan had another trick up his sleeves. "Use Work Up underground!" Hilda's eyes widened. He got a free pass to boost Lillipup's attack. "Now!"

Hilda saw the crack from below. "Jump and use Water Gun!" Hilda called out. Oshawott did just so and the scene was familiar, Lillipup being knocked into a rock by the Water Gun.

"Impressive," Cilan said. "I can see Oshawott trusts you very much to pull off such an incredible maneuver."

Hilda grinned. "Thanks! Water Gun again!"

Oshawott shot another torrent of water at Lillipup. "Hide behind a rock!" Cilan called out, and Lillipup did just that.

"Destroy that rock with Water Gun!" Hilda shouted, and Oshawott did just that. When the rock was destroyed, Lillipup was nowhere to be seen. "Did it use Dig?" Hilda noticed a crack in the ground behind Oshawott. "Oshawott, use Razor Shell behind you!"

It happened so fast. Lillipup jumped out of the ground, ready to Tackle Oshawott, but Oshawott turned around so fast and pulled out her scalchop, which transformed into a razor, and delivered a quick slash. Lillipup was sent flying to where Cilan was standing, unconscious.

Chili raised a flag towards Hilda. "Cilan's Lillipup is unable to battle! Hilda's Oshawott is the winner! Gym Leader, please send out your next Pokémon."

"You fought with much bravado, thank you," Cilan returned Lillipup and pulled out another Pokeball. "Glorify everyone with your presence Pansage!" On the field was a similar Pokémon to Panpour, except it was green.

"A Pansage," Hilda said, pulling out her Pokedex to obtain detailed information on the Pokémon.

 _Pansage. The Grass Monkey Pokémon. Pansage is a Grass Type Pokémon. It's good at finding berries and gathers them from all over. It's kind enough to share them with friends._

Hilda furrowed her brow. "That wasn't helpful. Oshawott, return." Hilda had expected this. That was why Cress left the battlefield, because Cilan had the advantage over her. So she had Oshawott start off the fight by knocking out Lillipup while trying to take least amount of damage as possible, which was a success. "You're up Gothita!" Hilda sent out her little Psychic Pokémon, also part of her strategy. Watching Bianca made her realize that approaching these monkeys wasn't easy, so it would be better to hit them back with range.

"It's unusual to see a trainer with a Gothita," Cilan had a surprised expression on his face before smirking. "This will be a battle to savour! Pansage, use Dig!"

Hilda bit her lip, knowing what Cilan was going to do. "Stop it with Confusion!" Gothita's eyes glowed blue and Pansage stopped digging. "Hit it against a rock!"

Gothita started to slowly lift Pansage, ready to fling him against the wall. "Pansage, use Bullet Seed to get out of there!" Pansage opened his mouth slowly and started firing seeds at Gothita, landing a direct hit and breaking the Confusion. "Work Up!" Pansage glowed, attack now boosted.

Hilda furrowed her brows. "Doesn't matter, Gothita use Psybeam!" Gothita's eyes glowed once more and a purple, bright beam shot out of her hand straight towards Pansage.

"Dodge it," Cilan called, and at the last moment Pansage leapt to the side, avoiding the attack. "Bullet Seed again!"

Pansage fired more seeds at Gothita. "Stop them with Confusion!" Hilda called out. The Confusion however was unable to stop the seeds that were moving at a fast pace. Gothita was directly hit once again. The damage having been done, Gothita wouldn't be able to take one more attack from Pansage that had a boost from Work Up.

"Let us end this with Dig!" Cilan called out. Pansage burrowed into the ground quickly.

Hilda quickly went over all of Gothita's moves, thinking about how to turn the situation in their favour. Thinking of a strategy, she called out to Gothita. "Gothita! I have an idea but you're going to have to react as soon as I say it!" Receiving a nod, Hilda waited. She saw a slight crumble below Gothita, not even a crack. "Move to your left and use Tickle!" Immediately jumping slightly to her left, Gothita avoided the attack and started to tickle Pansage. Pansage was helpless against the tickling and started to laugh hysterically.

Everyone was in shock at the events. "P-Pansage! Get a hold of yourself!" Cilan shouted, hoping Pansage will regain his senses. Unfortunately for him, that didn't happen.

"Use Pound!" Hilda shouted, and Gothita's right arm glowed white, before delivering a direct hit at Pansage's chest, sending him back.

"Pansage!" Cilan shouted, watching as his Pokémon stood up once more. "Phew, let's take over this battle, shall we? Get up close to Gothita!"

Hilda wasn't going to let that happen however. "Use Confusion to hold him still!" Gothita did just that, but like last time Pansage used Bullet Seed to get out of it. "Dodge quickly!" Gothita got out of the way of the Bullet Seed attack at the last second, but Pansage was right in front of it.

Cilan snapped his fingers. "I'm afraid we have the advantage here. Use Lick!"

Hilda's eyes widened and she took a step back. "Lick!?"

Ash shuddered at the memory of the many times Lick has been used on his Pokémon, most recent being at the Sinnoh League.

Pansage stuck out its tongue and took a good lick at Gothita. Gothita took a step back, then another, before falling on the ground unconscious and covered in Pansage's saliva. "G-Gothita!" Hilda exclaimed, hurriedly returning the poor Psychic Type Pokémon. "This wasn't supposed to happen," Hilda said before sending out her Oshawott again.

"Let's end this quickly, use Bullet Seed!" Pansage used Bullet Seed heading straight to Oshawott.

"Behind a rock!" Hilda called and Oshawott quickly jumped behind a rock, avoiding the Bullet Seed. "Use Water Gun!"

Oshawott shot a Water Gun at Pansage, who easily dodged out of the way and retaliated with another Bullet Seed. Oshawott quickly hid behind a rock once more. Hilda gritted her teeth, unsure of what to do.

"If you're not going to make a move, then allow me to do the honours. Use Bullet Seed on the rock Oshawott is hiding behind!" Cilan called out. Pansage did just that, destroying the rock Oshawott was behind, leaving her defenseless. "Now, use Solarbeam!"

"Solarbeam?" Hilda asked, watching as Pansage was charging up.

Ash's eyes widened. "Hilda! Be careful!" He shouted.

"Uh-oh," Hilda said, knowing if Ash is worried, she should be worried. Pansage fired a huge beam towards Oshawott. Hilda closed her eyes. "USE WATER GUN ON THE GROUND!"

The command was sudden, but Oshawott immediately did so with no hesitation, and propelled herself into the air. Everyone gasping in shock made Hilda open her eyes to see Oshawott in the sky, safe and unharmed.

Ash had a huge grin. "That was awesome Hilda!"

"W-what just…?" Hilda shook her head. "No time to think about that, use Water Gun!" Oshawott shot a Water Gun at the Pansage that was now tired after using such a powerful attack. The Water Gun hit and Pansage was knocked back. However, Pansage was still fine. Oshawott landed on the ground with grace.

"How beautiful! Your timing couldn't have been more precise, and it is as clear as day that Oshawott trusts you more then you could know. But my Pansage appears to be weary. Why don't you heal yourself up, hm?" Ash and Hilda were confused at Cilan's words. But it made sense when Pansage took a leaf from its head and ate it. Pansage looked energized as soon as it did so.

 _Eating a leaf from Pansage's head whisks weariness away as if by magic._

"Now you tell me," Hilda mumbled as her Pokedex beeped from her pocket.

Cilan pointed towards Oshawott. "Let's wrap this up! Use Bullet Seed!"

"Water Gun to counter!" Hilda quickly said. The two Pokémon shot their respective attacks at one another, attacks colliding resulting in an explosion. The smoke cleared and neither Pokémon were injured.

Cilan put a hand to his chin. "Hm, despite having the power boost from Work Up and that Bullet Seed is a Grass Type move it still was even. Use Solarbeam again!"

Pansage started to charge up for the attack. "It sure takes a while to charge up for the attack. Use Razor Shell!" Hilda called out. Oshawott started running straight towards Pansage, whose eyes widened at the incoming Oshawott with the sharp razor in her hand.

"Release it Pansage!" Cilan commanded the moment Oshawott neared Pansage.

Pansage did just as told and released the not-fully charged Solarbeam at Oshawott, who delivered a vertical slash at Pansage. The two Pokémon were sent flying back, enveloped in smoke.

Once again, there was tension in the air as everyone waited for the results. The smoke cleared, and on the ground was Oshawott. Standing with a few bruises was Pansage.

Chili looked closely at Oshawott before raising a flag towards Cilan. "Oshawott is unable to battle! With one Pokémon remaining, the victor is the Gym Leader!" Cheers erupted from one side of the bleachers.

Cilan put a hand over his heart. "Phew, talk about too close for comfort. Thank you my friend," Cilan returned Pansage.

Hilda returned Oshawott and smiled lightly. "Thank you, you fought well." She turned to Cilan and bowed, thanking him for the battle before running out of the gym.

* * *

 **This chapter was a total of over 10 000 words without the replies and authors note. So to make things a bit easier, I split the chapter into two chapters! Don't worry, the second half of this chapter will be uploaded on Friday! But man did this take such a long time to write. I started the day I uploaded the last chapter, which was last Thursday I believe (July 2). It took this long because I would always delete some parts and add other parts. I am really bad at writing Pokemon Battles so I was hoping this fic could change that. Um, I hope my replies to some of the reviews didn't make me look like a jerk :/ I just wanted to clarify that Pikachu is NOT as overpowered as people think he should be. I think it was the fact that he lost to a starter at the very beginning in the anime that tipped people off and made their view on Pikachu different. Other then that, I hope you enjoy this chapter!**


	7. Different Types of Advantages

**Reviews!**

 **OmniDragon10:** **She'll get even better! Thanks!**

 **kaisar . dinasty:** **I'm glad you understand and thank you!**

 **neerajyadavred32:** **You gave me an idea I could use with Tynamo…**

 **Kerbeus01:** **I don't plan on having any of Ash's old Pokémon make an appearance, even good old Charizard. But things may change!**

* * *

Hilda returned Oshawott and smiled lightly. "Thank you, you fought well." She turned to Cilan and bowed, thanking him for the battle before running out of the gym.

"Wait! Hilda!" Ash shouted, chasing after her.

Hilda ran out of the gym and straight to the Pokémon Center. Her Pokémon had fought hard for her. She thought she may have done it, but alas it all ended in failure. "Nurse Joy!"

Nurse Joy turned from the counter. "Yes? Oh Hilda, how may I help you?"

Hilda placed Oshawott and Gothita's Pokeball on the counter. "Can you heal them for me?"

Nurse Joy took the two Pokeballs and gave Hilda a smile. "Of course! Please wait for a moment."

Hilda nodded and walked over to one of the tables. She let out a sigh. "Who would have thought Pokémon Battles can get so hectic?"

"Fancy seeing you here," Hilda looked to her side and saw a familiar face standing next to her table.

"Cheren!" Hilda exclaimed, getting up to give her childhood friend a brief hug. "It feels like a long time since I last saw you!"

Cheren pushed up his glasses. "It has. May I sit with you?" Receiving a nod from Hilda, Cheren sat across from Hilda. "So how has your journey been so far?"

Hilda gave him a big smile. "It's been great! I've caught three Pokémon!"

"That's impressive. I have only two at the moment," Cheren said. "But I do have one Gym Badge."

Hilda's eyes widened. "You beat the Striaton Gym?"

Cheren nodded. "Of course. It was a learning experience, to say the least."

Hilda looked down. "I lost earlier. I thought for sure I could win."

"Don't worry about it. It's just the beginning. If you want a recommendation, I think you should train at the Dreamyard," Cheren said.

Hilda tilted her head. "Dreamyard?"

Cheren stood up. "It's to the north east of here. Training there will definitely help you." Cheren started to leave.

"I see. Thanks Cheren!" Cheren gave a wave before leaving the Pokémon Center. She was soon called up to the counter.

"Here you go Hilda, both are as healthy as they can be!" Nurse Joy handed Hilda her Pokeballs.

Hilda put them away in her bag. "Thank you Nurse Joy!" Before Hilda could leave, Nurse Joy stopped her.

"Wait Hilda, these two Pokémon have made a speedy recovery." An Audino appeared with a cart. Sitting on the cart was Pikachu and Purrloin.

Hilda went over to them. "You two are alright! I'm so relieved!" The two smiled at her, both jumping on her shoulders making her laugh. "Thank you Nurse Joy!"

"It was no problem! Please come again!" Nurse Joy went over to another trainer to assist them.

Hilda stepped outside of the Pokémon Center. She took Purrloin off her shoulders before placing her on the ground. "Well Purrloin, you can return to the wild. Be more careful, okay?" Petting the Purrloin's head, Hilda turned around with Pikachu on her shoulder, ready to search for Ash. She stopped when she felt something rubbing her leg. She looked down and saw Purrloin rubbing its head against her leg. "What is it? Did I forget something?"

"I think it wants to join you," Hilda jumped at the voice and turned around to see Ash walking over to her with a grin. Pikachu cheered and jumped from Hilda's shoulder to Ash's. "Hey buddy! Glad to see you're doing well."

"Really? Do you want to come with me Purrloin?" Purrloin was now hiding behind Hilda's legs, afraid of Ash. "There's no need to be scared of Ash, Purrloin! He forgives you for attacking Pikachu, right Ash?"

Ash nodded. "Of course. If someone were to do something to separate Pikachu and I don't think I would be happy with that person."

Hilda smiled and picked up Purrloin. "See? Nothing to worry about!" Hilda gave Purrloin a big smile, making Purrloin smile back. "So, do you want to come with me Purrloin?" A nod and a meow was her answer. Hilda took out a Pokeball and tapped Purrloin. The ball shook in her hand three times before clicking. "I just caught a Purrloin!"

"So do you have any plans now? Train to defeat Cilan? Rest?" Ash asked.

"I actually ran into Cheren earlier and he told me about a good training spot," Hilda said.

Ash was a bit surprised Hilda wanted to train right after losing, but realized it was only natural. "Really? Where?"

"To the north east of here is the Dreamyard. He said that we can get some good training done there," Hilda explained. Ash nodded and the two headed towards the Dreamyard. "By the way Ash, why didn't you have your Gym Battle today? It's only a two on two."

Ash shrugged. "I didn't want Pikachu to miss our first Gym Battle in Unova. Besides, I was more worried about you and how you were doing after that loss."

Hilda smiled at Ash. "That's sweet of you. I guess it kind of hurts, being defeated after working so hard to just turn the tables around."

Ash nodded. "Makes sense. Which, by the way, you did amazing out there! You thought of strategies off the fly and your Pokémon reacted immediately. It was like you were one with your Pokémon!"

Hilda blushed at the praise. "It was nothing…besides, I'm sure you could do the same."

Ash shrugged. "Maybe, but that's not the point. I'm not you and you're not me. You shouldn't compare us. You should be proud that you worked so well with your Pokémon!"

"I guess," Hilda said. They were soon outside the city in the outskirts. "So the Dreamyard is this way," Hilda read a sign that pointed towards the forest. There was a path to walk on that presumably led to the Dreamyard.

"Let's get going then," Ash said, walking ahead.

"Wait up!" Hilda called out, catching up to Ash. They walked through a small forest and soon came to a clearing. "Wow! It's so calming here," Hilda said.

"It feels relaxing, that's for sure," Ash said. Pikachu let out a 'cha' in agreement and closed his eyes. "Are you sure this is the place Cheren said was perfect for training?"

Hilda nodded. "Yep. Come on, let's keep going." The two walked on the path and soon a fence came into view.

"Whatever's behind here must be off limits," Ash said, observing the tall fence.

"There's a lot of debris. Must have been an old building," Hilda said after seeing a broken window frame. They continued onwards and noticed how serene the area was. They noticed there was a variety of Pokémon here.

"These Pokémon must have made a home of what's left of this building," Ash claimed, watching a Patrat run under one of the debris with several more little Patrats.

"It's quite a sight, isn't it?" Ash and Hilda jumped at the sudden voice. They turned around and saw a young girl with brown hair and a huge lab coat that did not fit her and dragged on the floor. "Seeing so many Pokémon living in peace."

"Um, yeah. Who are you exactly?" Hilda asked, trying to be as polite as possible.

"Oh I'm Amanita! I'm a friend of Professor Juniper. You must be Hilda. Wow, you look just like how she described you!" Amanita exclaimed. She then turned to Ash. "Who are you?"

"I'm Ash from Kanto. This is my partner Pikachu," Ash gestured to Pikachu on his shoulder.

Amanita gasped. "A Pikachu! I haven't seen one in so long!" Amanita approached Ash and patted Pikachu's head. After petting Pikachu, she looked at Hilda. "So how's your journey coming along so far?"

Hilda rubbed the back of her head. "I've caught four Pokémon so far and challenged the Striaton City Gym."

Amanita's eyes widened. "Wow! That's so great! How'd your gym battle go?"

Hilda looked down. "I, uh, lost."

Ash looked at Hilda with a frown before looking at Amanita with a grin. "She lost, but she battled well! She was in sync with her Pokémon! Just some more training and beating Cilan will be no problem!"

Hilda's face reddened from the praise while Amanita seemed to be thinking. "Cilan isn't a weak opponent. He stays calm no matter the situation and is able to react quickly. He has a deep bond with his Pansage as well." Amanita then slammed her fist into her palm. "I got it!" Amanita then pulled out a Pokeball from one of the pockets in the lab coat and handed it to Hilda.

"Your started was Oshawott, correct?" Hilda nodded. "Then this fella may prove to be useful! He isn't opening up much, but he has spirit!"

Hilda took the Pokeball and eyed it warily. "Are you sure? You're _giving_ me a Pokémon!"

Amanita nodded. "Sure I'm sure! I know you'll take good care of him! Check him out."

Hilda furrowed her brows, not liking the idea of just taking a Pokémon. She looked at Ash who just shrugged and she sighed. She tossed the Pokeball in the air and out appeared a monkey similar to Panpour and Pansage, but was coloured red instead. "A Pansear!" Hilda exclaimed. Ash had to pull out his Pokedex, having never seen the Pokémon before.

 _Pansear. The High Temp Pokémon. Pansear is a Fire Type Pokémon. Very intelligent, it roasts berries before eating them. It likes to help people._

"A Fire Type," Hilda said, looking at the monkey curiously. "Now I have a good chance at winning now!" She then looked at Amanita. "Are you sure about giving him to me though?"

Amanita sighed. "I'm sure Hilda! Don't worry about it!" She then looked at Pansear. "From now on she will be your new trainer, all right?" Pansear only nodded and Amanita smiled. "Good! Well, I have to be going. I'll see you two soon!"

Hilda nodded and Amanita started to leave. When she walked next to Ash, she stopped. "You know," Ash turned to her. "You seem familiar. You said your name is Ash?" Ash nodded. "I'll keep that in mind. See ya!" And with that she left, leaving the two trainers alone.

Hilda crouched down to Pansear. "Hi Pansear! I'm Hilda, let's get along, okay?" Pansear nodded slightly, making Hilda smile even more. "So let's see, your moves are…Scratch, Incinerate, and Bite. Not bad."

Ash looked at Hilda curiously. "What's Incinerate?"

Hilda shrugged. "I have no idea. Hey, let's start training, okay buddy?" Pansear nodded again, making Hilda sigh. "I like that you're so agreeable, but you can be more, I don't know, energetic? Vocal?"

Pansear only tilted his head making Hilda sigh again. Ash walked a good distance away from them. "I don't have a Grass Type, but let's try having Pansear fight against another Fire Type!" Ash shouted, sending out his Tepig.

Hilda nodded and looked at Pansear. "Ready?" Pansear jumped in front of Hilda and nodded, awaiting orders. "Use Incinerate!"

Pansear shot a blast of fire towards Tepig. The blast was similar to that of a Flamethrower, though slightly wider and weaker. "Tepig, counter with Ember!" Ash shouted. Tepig countered with just that and the two attacks met, cancelling each other out.

"Scratch!" Hilda called out immediately, making Pansear run straight towards Tepig.

"Dodge!" Ash called out, and Tepig was able to dodge at the last second.

Hilda bit her lip. "Incinerate!" Pansear released another blast of fire, this time at close range. Tepig took that attack up front, being knocked back a bit. Not letting Tepig recover, Hilda called out another attack. "Bite!" Pansear jumped towards the staggering Tepig and delivered a direct attack.

"Tepig!" Ash called out as Tepig squealed in pain, trying to shake off Pansear.

"Pansear, come back," Hilda shouted. Pansear stopped his attack and went back to Hilda, who crouched down and petted the monkey. "That was excellent Pansear!"

Ash crouched down near Tepig. "You did great buddy." Ash complimented before returning Tepig.

"I'm much more confident I can win this now!" Hilda exclaimed. "The type advantage will definitely help!"

Ash nodded. "Though types don't always matter you know. You can win as long as you believe in your Pokémon."

"I believed in Oshawott and Gothita and I didn't win," Hilda muttered, though quiet enough so that Ash didn't hear.

"It's almost dinner. Whaddya say we buy dinner?" Ash said, already leaving the Dreamyard.

Her stomach growled as soon as Ash said that, making him laugh and her face redden. "I'm all for dinner right now."

* * *

The two were now eating at a small café. They would have went to the gym to eat, but it was too expensive for them so they decided to eat at a small café. They were eating at one of the outdoor stands.

"So do you have any idea which Pokémon you're going to use against Cilan?" Ash asked Hilda.

Hilda swallowed her food before answering. "Pansear for sure. I was going to choose Oshawott again, but she's probably still tired from today's battle and I don't want something similar happening where Pansear faints and Oshawott is my last Pokémon."

"I'm sure Oshawott can beat Pansage if you think of a different strategy," Ash said, taking a bite out of his sandwich.

"Maybe, but there's a less chance of losing if I were to use something that isn't weak against Grass Types, don't you think?" Hilda took a sip of her tea, watching Ash furrow his brows.

"I guess…" Ash said, finishing his sandwich.

"My, isn't this a pleasant surprise!" Ash and Hilda nearly jumped out of their seats at the voice. They turned their heads to see a familiar green-haired man. "I'm sorry, did I startle you?"

"You did, but its fine!" Hilda said. "But what are you doing here Cilan?"

"I had just returned from the Pokémon Center and was heading to the Gym when I saw you two," Cilan then looked at Pikachu on Ash's shoulder. "Is that your Pikachu, Ash?"

Ash nodded and looked at Pikachu. "Pikachu, this is Cilan. He's one of the Gym Leaders at the Striaton City Gym." Pikachu gave the man a wave.

Cilan approached Pikachu and observed him. "How fascinating! To see a live Pikachu! And he's in such a fine condition. Yes, you can truly tell that you two have a deep bond. I can just sense the amount of nostalgia within those red cheeks!"

Ash and Hilda sweat dropped as Cilan continued to say things neither could understand. Cilan then looked at Hilda after finishing observing Pikachu. "I would also like to say I was impressed at your performance earlier. For a new trainer, you're quite talented."

Hilda blushed. "Thanks, but I'm prepared to battle you again! I trained earlier and am ready for a rematch!"

Cilan put a finger on his chin. "If you would like, we could battle once you finish eating. My Lillipup and Pansage are healed and the restaurant is closed so there would be no distractions."

Hilda stood up. "Really!?" Hilda then looked at Ash. "Oh, I guess Ash should have his Gym Battle first."

Ash shook his head. "I think you should have your battle first. I know what it's like to want a rematch after losing to someone." Pikachu looked at his trainer in surprise, making him frown. "What?" Pikachu said somethings neither Hilda nor Cilan could understand. "What do you mean 'that's not like me!?' I'm understanding!" Pikachu responded once more. "I'm not battle hungry!"

Hilda and Cilan laughed as the two continued to bicker. "That's the taste of friendship," Cilan said. "But he said it, would you like to have a rematch?" Hilda nodded enthusiastically. "Then I look forward to it. I shall wait for your arrival," and with that, Cilan left.

Hilda turned to the two who were still bickering and laughed, finishing her dinner with Ash before heading off to the gym for her rematch.

* * *

The two entered the restaurant, noticing how different it appeared when closed. They walked downstairs to the battlefield and saw Cilan already in the trainer box, Chili at the referee box, and Cress standing at the side. The battlefield was still in its state after the battles earlier and thus had not as much rocks but a lot of debris but the holes were filled in. Hilda went to the trainer box while Ash went to the bleachers. There was no one around but them, just as Cilan had said.

"I am looking forward to see what type of flavours you shall bring to the table," Cilan said gripping one of his Pokeballs.

Hilda and Ash had no idea what he meant by that. "Um, sure," was Hilda's reply.

Chili looked at the two, silently asking if they were ready. When he received a nod, he raised both his flags. "The rematch between the Striaton City Gym Leader Cilan and the challenger Hilda will begin! This will be a two on two battle! The victor is decided when one person loses both of their Pokémon! Battle begin!"

"Lillipup, return to the stage!" The familiar pup Pokémon was on the field, growling fiercely.

Hilda pulled out a Pokeball from her bag. "I'm counting on you, Purrloin!" Hilda shouted, sending out her first Pokémon. This surprised everyone on the field, for different reasons.

"I didn't think she would use Purrloin already," Ash said with a worried expression. "I know that Purrloin is strong, considering it almost defeated Oshawott with no real struggle, but Hilda hasn't even trained Purrloin yet."

Meanwhile, with the Gym Leaders. Cilan was quivering where he stood. "A-a-a-a P-P-P-Purrloin..."

Cress shook his head. "Cilan, get a hold of yourself. You are in a battle! Don't let your phobia hold you down."

Cilan slowly turned towards Cress. "T-t-that's easy for you to say…"

Cress sighed as he shook his head at Cilan. "The Purrloin isn't going to attack you. If you don't want Lillipup to get hurt, you're going to need to overcome this."

Cilan let out an audible gulp as he turned to the battlefield. Purrloin was on all fours, waiting with an innocent look on her face. But to Cilan, she looked like she was ready to claw his face to the point it would be unrecognizable. Cilan ran behind Cress. "It's glaring at me!"

Cress pushed his brother back onto the battlefield. "No it's not. Cilan, get your head in the game and don't disgrace our gym!"

That seemed to do it, as Cilan's eyes widened. He tightened his fists. "Right, I shall not smear the Striaton Gym's name because of a wretched fiend!"

Hilda was not pleased at that. "Who are you calling a 'wretched fiend!?'"

Cilan put his hands in the air. "I meant no offence!" Cilan then grew a grin on his face. "Shall we begin?" Hilda nodded and Cilan made his first move. "Dig!"

Hilda almost groaned. "Not again. Purrloin, go over to it quickly and use Scratch!" Purrloin dashed at a fast speed, claws sharpened ready to scratch the pup. Lillipup however made its way underground before Purrloin reached.

"Work Up!" Cilan called and they heard a faint bark as Lillipup gained a power boost.

"I need to take care of Lillipup fast," Hilda said quietly, waiting for Lillipup to burrow out of the ground. Hilda noticed the small cracks and acted. "Scratch behind you!"

Purrloin turned around at a fast speed and slashed at the burrowing Lillipup, sending it flying. "Quite impressive. So far every time I used Dig you were able to counterattack. But let's see if you can handle this! Double Team!"

Ash and Pikachu's eyes widened. "This isn't good."

Hilda and Purrloin watched curiously as Lillipup split into two. Then three. Then four, then ten, then even more. "Why is there so many?" Hilda pulled out her Pokedex.

 _The user makes illusory copies of itself to raise its evasiveness._

Hilda put away her Pokedex. "That's new. What exactly do I do? Um, use Scratch!"

Purrloin looked back at Hilda before trying to attack on of the Lillipup. It ended up being one of the copies. "Use Tackle!" The real Lillipup was able to get a direct hit against Purrloin, making Purrloin getting sent flying from the power boosted Tackle.

"Purrloin!" Hilda exclaimed as Purrloin stood up once again bruised. "Scratch!" Purrloin dashed towards Lillipup once more. Knowing he couldn't outmatch Purrloin in speed, Cilan commanded Lillipup to use Double Team once more. "What can I do now?"

Hilda replayed the previous attack. Lillipup had been able to attack before Hilda could notice simply because there were so many. "Who knows which' one is the real one?"

"If you're not going to attack, then allow me! Use Hidden Power!" Each Lillipup started to have green orbs flying around them.

Hilda gulped. "Only one of them is real, so only one attack is real, right?" Hilda said to herself, watching as the Lillipup released the orbs. To the naked eye, it would look like a poor little Purrloin was being attacked by hundreds or orbs and the Purrloin would need a trip to the hospital. Hilda closed her eyes and shouted an attack. "Assist!"

Purrloin's eyes glowed blue and all the orbs disappeared along with the copies, leaving one Lillipup standing, though unable to move. "That's Confusion!" Ash exclaimed, watching the battle intensely.

"Scratch!" Hilda called out and Purrloin's eyes stopped glowing and Lillipup was free but without giving Lillipup a chance to do anything, Purrloin ran up to Lillipup quickly and sent it flying.

Everyone looked at Lillipup, waiting for it to get up. When it didn't, Chili raised a flag towards Hilda. "Lillipup is unable to battle! Purrloin is the winner!"

Hilda let out a sigh of relief. "When did you teach Lillipup all those moves?" Hilda asked Cilan.

Cilan returned Lillipup. "It was right after I went to the Pokémon Center and healed him. We did some extra training. But it seems it wasn't enough. No matter, Pansage let's go!" Cilan tossed another Pokeball and the familiar grass monkey was on the field.

"Purrloin, return!" Hilda returned Purrloin. "Pansear!" Hilda's new Pokémon appeared on the battlefield, surprising the brothers.

"She has her own Pansear?" Chili said in surprise.

Cilan however kept a neutral expression as the two monkeys stared at each other. "This should be interesting. Pansage use Bullet Seed!"

Pansage let out a series of Bullets towards Pansear. Hilda put a hand out as she called a counter. "Incinerate!"

The two attacks collided, cancelling one another. Cilan closed his eyes. "That Incinerate left a bad taste in my mouth."

Hilda furrowed her brow. "Even? Shouldn't a Fire Type move be stronger than a Grass Type move?"

Cilan outstretched his arm, calling an attack. "Use Dig and Work Up!"

Pansage dug underground. Hilda was starting to get irritated at the attack. "If only I had a counter to Dig," Hilda waited once again for Pansage to appear again.

She was surprised when she saw Pansage appear from behind on of the rocks, with a charged up Solarbeam. "Fire!" Cilan shouted, pointing at Pansear.

Hilda's eyes widened. "Pansear, dodge!" Pansear jumped to the left and started to run as Pansage kept aiming the Solarbeam at Pansear. Eventually Pansage stopped the attack. "When did he use Solarbeam? Or even tell Pansage to get out behind the rock?"

Cilan smirked and wagged his finger. "This is the wonderful taste of a bond and a strategy! Without either, you are bound to lose."

Hilda frowned and looked at Pansear. "Let's show Cilan what we're made of!" Pansear nodded. "Use Incinerate!"

Pansear shot another blast of fire at Pansage, who jumped out of the way. "Well done Pansage, now use Bullet Seed!"

"Keep using Incinerate!" The battle was going back and forth, the two monkeys firing their respective attacks and avoiding the other's. The battle had ended up exhausting Pansear while Pansage still looked fine. "This is going nowhere…"

"On the contrary, this is exhausting your Pansear. It is obvious to me that you don't have a close bond with Pansear and had only just obtained Pansear," Cilan deduced, surprising Hilda.

"Obvious how?" Hilda asked.

"That level of fitness for a Pansear is simply too low for a Pansear that had been trained. And its attacks would have been stronger as well," Cilan explained.

Hilda looked surprised and then looked at Pansear, who kept panting and staring at Pansage. She clenched her fists. "We'll grow a bond. I'll become friends with Pansear. And to do that, we won't lose! Incinerate!"

Pansear released another Incinerate towards Pansage. "Dodge and use Bite!" Pansage avoided the attack and rushed forward and bit on Pansear's head. Pansear started to try and get Pansage off of his head.

"Pansear, get it off you!" Pansear continued to shake his head. Hilda then remembered something from her previous battle. Pansage was able to heal itself by eating a leaf from its head. "The monkeys are similar, that was common knowledge to anyone from Unova. So Pansear may also have a special ability like that as well," Hilda said to herself. "Pansear, use your tuft!"

Pansear stopped struggling and started to let his tuft heat up. Pansear's tuft started to heat up, making Pansage's eyes widened as he immediately let go of Pansear and jumped back. "Incinerate now!" Hilda called and Pansear let out a blast of fire, hitting Pansage before he could recover.

Ash looked at Hilda and Pansear in amazement. "That was so cool!"

Hilda's Pokedex beeped. _The fire within the tuft on its head can reach 600° F._

"It seems I did not give you enough credit," Cilan said as he watched Pansage struggle with various burn marks. "But that won't be enough! Pansage use Solarbeam!"

Pansage fired a beam towards Pansear. "Pansear dodge!" Pansear, too exhausted, was unable to dodge and got blasted directly. Pansear was sent flying and hit the wall, falling on the ground.

Chili looked at Pansear closely before raising a flag towards Cilan. "Pansear is unable to battle! Pansage is the winner!"

Hilda returned Pansear. "Thank you. You did your best, and I appreciate it." Hilda looked at the Pansage who was panting, clearly tired. This was looking just like her last battle. She just had to make sure the results weren't the same. "Purrloin, back to you!"

The purple cat Pokémon had re-entered the battlefield. "Let's quickly heal up, have a snack Pansage!" Cilan called out.

Hilda reacted almost immediately. "Scratch!" Purrloin ran over to Pansage swiftly to stop Pansage from eating the leaves on its head. When Purrloin reached Pansage, Pansage finished eating the leaf and dug under the ground, avoiding the slash. Hilda observed the battlefield, looking at all the holes that were created in this battle thanks to Cilan's Lillipup and Pansage. They were all over the battlefield. "Jump in the hole!"

This command surprised them all but Purrloin did just that and jumped in the hole. "Use Assist!" The result of the attack was a cry from Pansage. Pansage jumped out of one of the holes with a Purrloin biting its head. Everyone watched as Purrloin glowed, healing slightly.

"Pansage! Shake it off!" Pansage shook his head and eventually shook Purrloin off. Purrloin was able to land on her feet quickly.

"Purrloin use Scratch!" Purrloin ran up to Pansage, claws sharpened.

"Bullet Seed to keep your distance," Cilan called out. Purrloin ran faster than ever towards Pansage avoiding the Bullet Seeds. Purrloin tried to Scratch Pansage, but Pansage back flipped out of the way and fired another Bullet Seed.

"Don't stop now! Keep the pressure!" Hilda shouted and Purrloin continued its onslaught and continued to swipe, doing its best to land a hit but Pansage kept dodging, sending Bullet Seeds that Purrloin would easily dodge.

"There has to be a way to slow down Pansage," Hilda said quietly watching the two Pokémon attack and miss.

"Pansage, mix things up! Get away from Purrloin and use Solarbeam!" Cilan called out. Pansage used Dig to get away from Purrloin and quickly burrowed out of the ground and fired a Solarbeam.

"Dodge and use Assist!" Jumping on the various debris and avoiding the Solarbeam and using Assist. Purrloin raised a paw and a purple zig-zag beam shot out of Purrloin's paw and it aimed at Pansage.

"Avoid that Psybeam!" Cilan shouted, and Pansage did indeed avoid it. Neither Pokémon were landing a hit or taking a hit. However with the ability to rejuvenate itself, Pansage would win. "Solarbeam!"

Pansage charged and fired a Solarbeam at Purrloin, who dodged. Hilda furrowed her brow watching Purrloin carefully in case she gets too exhausted.

"It seems this battle will end with a rather bitter taste. The bond between you and Purrloin is unsatisfactory for a trainer." Cilan's words hit Hilda like a brick, making her grit her teeth.

"How can he judge our bond just like that?" Hilda wondered. "I thought Purrloin and I got along well despite only meeting earlier today. But if I can't win this battle, would that mean I don't trust Purrloin? Or she doesn't trust me? She must trust me! She wanted to join me! So I can't let her down! I won't betray her trust! But what can I do?"

Hilda started to look for ways to turn the tables. She then noticed the dust. "Purrloin's other move! Purrloin, get up close to Pansage!"

Cilan raised a brow. "Keep it away with Bullet Seed."

A familiar scene occurred as Purrloin got up close to Pansage and dodging the Bullet Seed. "Now use Sand Attack!" Using the momentum from skidding across the battlefield, Purrloin turned around and kicked sand at Pansage, who was now covered in sand.

"Pansage!" Cilan shouted, worried as Pansage tried to get the sand out of his eyes.

"Let's finish this and get our badge! Use Scratch!" Purrloin ran up to Pansage and instead of using Scratch, Purrloin delivered a series of Scratch attacks.

"That's Fury Swipes!" Ash exclaimed as Purrloin then delivered a fierce Scratch and send Pansage against the wall behind Cilan.

Chili looked closely at Pansage and raised a flag towards Hilda. "Pansage is unable to battle! Purrloin is the winner! The victory goes to the challenger Hilda!"

Hilda watched with amazement as Purrloin started to walk back towards her, slowly and tiredly. Hilda ran up to Purrloin and hugged the cat. "Purrloin! Thank you so much! You were amazing!" Purrloin smiled, glad she didn't let down Hilda like she did with N.

"Hilda that was amazing!" Hilda turned around and saw Ash approach her. Pikachu gave a cheer as well.

Hilda smiled at the compliment. "Thanks Ash. I think I'm starting to get the hang of Pokémon Battles!"

"You fought really well even though you got those Pokémon today," Ash said.

Hilda laughed and turned to see Cilan cleaning Pansage's eyes from the sand. The three brothers then approached them. "That was a marvelous battle. I have underestimated you, you clearly understand the importance of bonds," Cilan said.

Cress approached Hilda with a case. "This is proof of your victory at the Striaton City Gym. Please accept the Trio Badge."

Hilda took out the badge from the case. It was a thing badge with three gems inside it coloured blue, red, and green. "One badge down, seven to go," Hilda put away the Trio Badge into her badge case and held it up. "I did it Ash! I got my first gym badge!"

Ash grinned. "That's great Hilda!"

Chili then approached Ash. "If you would like Ash, you can have your Gym Battle right now."

Ash shook his head and gave the brothers a grin. "Nah, I'll be back tomorrow. Pikachu's kinda tired right now and so am I."

The brothers nodded. "Then we'll see you tomorrow," Cress said before leaving.

Ash and Hilda also left and went to the Pokémon Center, where Hilda healed Purrloin and Pansear and were able to get a room. Ash and Hilda took a shower before going to their room. All their Pokémon were out, and it was quite a party now. "You two did great today," Hilda said, complimenting Pansear and Purrloin. The two nodded, happy with the compliment, especially Purrloin.

"I'm so tired…" Hilda said, lying down on her bed.

"Really? You only had three battles today," Ash said, making Hilda raise a brow.

"I think Pikachu was right earlier," Hilda said. Ash tilted his head. "You really are battle hungry."

"Am not!" Ash retorted making Hilda and Pikachu laugh.

"So who do you think you're going to battle out of the three of them?" Hilda asked Ash, who was now slipping into his bed.

"No idea!" Ash said, making Hilda face fault.

"Why am I not surprised?" Hilda shook her head. "So you're ready for your battle?"

"Definitely! We've been training a lot recently! We're ready for this," Ash exclaimed.

"Of course you are. Well good night Ash! You don't want to be tired for your battle."

"Yeah. Night!"

"Good night."

* * *

 **I know this has been very Hilda centric but it is her battle. Next chapter will probably be Ash centric and then it should go back to the way it was. Not much to say this time, but thanks for reading!**


	8. Nightmare or Reality

**Reviews!**

 **Martyn:** **It's an…interesting idea but I don't really want to spend a whole chapter on Ash losing weight lol. Besides, I think Ash is pretty fit since he's constantly training with his Pokémon which burns any calories he may gain from his large appetite xD**

 **UpbeatButNegative:** **I like the EV idea. Hidden Power seems a bit difficult to explain. "Each Pokemon are born with different genes that result in Hidden Power's type and power." That's the best I can come up with :P Yeah, because when you consider the size of the restaurant, there is no way that it can have three puzzles and a battlefield so I moved it underground. Gen 6 really mixed things up but I have an explanation. Ash listed all the types** ** _he_** **KNEW, and he is unaware of the Fairy Type. If I was doing a rewrite of any other region, I probably would have fairy types but to my knowledge, the only Fairy Unova Pokémon is Mega Audino so I don't have to deal with the Fairy Type issue :P The Battle Club teaches you some things, and it taught Bianca how to use the battlefield to her advantage! That was Hilda's first loss, and trainers tend to either take their loss either really seriously, or in stride. Lol the more Lillipup's the better, am I right? XD I…actually completely forgot Synthesis was a thing haha. But I still would have went with the leaves from Pansage's head 'cause that's more cooler and makes more sense since there isn't a sun underground. Thank you once more for your review!**

 **The 6** **th** **Spectral King:** **Well, this chapter should answer your question. He's a bit more rational, yes, but he still loves battles!**

 **ShadeZyro (Chapter 6 & 7):** **I'm not the best at writing battles, but I'm slowly learning. I guess he reminds you of Advanced Ash 'cause that was my favourite Pokémon Saga. Advanced, Advanced Challenge, Advanced Battle, and Battle Frontier.**

 **ASD Pokemon Fan:** **I guess I should have been clearer. Ash's old Pokémon won't make a return in the main story of this fic. Which is up until the Pokémon League. I plan on making some other "aftergame" stuff so Ash may bring back some Pokémon then. But that's not for a long time.**

 **The Guest:** **It was only the second Route in the game. I'll try to make him train a bit more. Ash is also a dense guy, so he probably won't even know he has a love rival. I'm going to try and not make the love rivals a huge focus to my story, so you don't have to worry about that.**

 **Guardian06:** **Funny you should ask that…**

 **UpbeatButNegative (Chapter 7):** **She had that quick chat with Cheren but I understand what you mean. I'll keep that in mind and try to make similar events in the future better. Purrloin is one of my favourite Unova Pokémon simply because the previous cat Pokémon disappointed me. I based Pansear off of the free elemental monkey you get at the beginning of the game. I'm not a fan of them either, but it made sense to give one to Hilda. That was my goal and I'm glad I succeeded! Pansear is neutral towards Hilda at the moment, but will grow to like her of course. Thank you for catching that! Should be fixed by now. It's like you can see the future or something! 'Cause you'll be getting what you wished for.**

* * *

"James is asking around town for information," Meowth said, walking into their hideout which was a cave on Route 2.

"Is he standing out?" Jessie asked.

Meowth shook his head. "He's in disguise. He's asking like some foreign dummy."

"Perfect. Now then," Jessie turned behind her and faced her beloved Wobbuffet. "I think it's time we found out how exactly your abilities work."

"I remember in Johto that lady said something about Special Moves and Physical Moves," Meowth said. "Though that was a long time ago, so my memory's kinda foggy."

"Hm, Wobbuffet? Do you know how your attacks work?" Jessie asked.

Wobbuffet responded with its usual cry. While to some it may sound the same all the time, but Jessie knew her Pokémon well to tell the difference.

Jessie clapped her hands. "You do? That's great!"

"Jessie! Meowth!" The two turned around and saw James run inside the cave.

"What is it? Do you know where the Reveal Glass is?" Jessie asked.

James shook his head. "I found out something better! There's a Pokémon in this region that has the ability to manipulate dreams!"

"Manipulate dreams? Why would we need something like that?" Jessie asked, folding her arms.

"Wait a second Jessie! Imagine being able to convince people that they need to give us their Pokémon through their dreams! If we can do that, Team Rocket will have all the Pokemon in the world! We'll be unstoppable!" James exclaimed. Jessie's eyes widened at the idea.

"Or even better," Meowth interjected. "Say one day, the boss went to bed and is sleeping peacefully. The all of a sudden, something horrible happens in that dream and it turns into a nightmare! That's where this Dream Pokémon will step in. This Dream Pokémon will change the boss's nightmare to something more peaceful. Then when he wakes up, he'll say:

"My, I had a wonderful dream last night. It must be thanks to this Pokémon that Meowth and his friends got me. I should give them a promotion as thanks."

And we'll be living the good life!"

Jessie and James looked at each other before back at Meowth. "That's brilliant!"

* * *

Ash woke up and noticed Hilda was still sleeping with Oshawott and Lillipup by her side. Pansear and Purrloin were still sleeping on the ground with his own Pokémon. Ash got up and went over to the window. The sun still hadn't rose yet.

"It's so early," Ash said quietly. He wondered why he woke up so early. He usually slept in, even for important things. Ash glanced at Pikachu and chuckled. He heard movement behind him and saw Hilda's Purrloin waking up. "Morning Purrloin."

The Purrloin looked at Ash for a second before looking away. Ash tilted his head and crouched down. "What's wrong?" Purrloin turned her head to meet Ash's gaze and noticed he was worried. Purrloin still felt bad about attacking Pikachu. She looked over at Pikachu who was sleeping contently.

Ash noticed this and smiled slightly. "Do you still feel bad about what happened?" Purrloin looked back at Ash and nodded slightly. Ash petted Purrloin's head. "Don't worry about it. We forgive you and you're now one of our friends."

Ash stood up and grabbed some clothes and exited the room quietly. A few minutes later he returned with a towel on his head and was wearing jeans and a white t-shirt. Everyone but Purrloin was still asleep. He looked at Purrloin. "Want to get some breakfast? I'm starving." Purrloin looked at Hilda, wondering if it was all right to go with Ash. "I guess I'll have to eat something by myself then," Ash started to leave and Purrloin found herself very hungry, especially after yesterday's battle. But before she could go with Ash, she heard something move. She looked back at Hilda and saw her sit up, rubbing her eyes.

Hilda looked up and saw Ash and Purrloin awake while the other Pokémon were still sleeping. She got out of her bed and stretched with a yawn. "Morning Ash. Morning Purrloin." Purrloin ran up to Hilda and rubbed her head against Hilda's leg. Hilda giggled and crouched to pet the little cat.

"Perfect timing, I was about to go get breakfast. Want to join me?" Ash asked. Hilda gave him a look of annoyance.

"I just woke up. I'm not going to get breakfast looking like this!" Hilda gestured to her hair that was not in a ponytail, her sleeveless white shirt, and shorts. Ash rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, making Hilda sigh. "Wait here as I get ready." Hilda grabbed some clothes before leaving for the shower.

Minutes later, Ash was sitting on his bed tapping his foot impatiently. He knew from past experiences that girls took a long time to get ready, but that didn't mean he got any more patient. Hilda soon returned, dressed up in her usual attire. Ash bit his tongue so he didn't make a comment on how long she took, since that never ended well for him in the past. They went and ate breakfast before heading off to the Striaton City Gym for Ash's first gym battle in Unova.

They arrived and just like the day before, it was packed with customers. Ash and Hilda walked up to Cress who was standing at the counter.

"Ash and Hilda. It is a pleasure to see you again," Cress said, writing something on a piece of paper. "I take it you're here for your battle Ash?"

Ash gave Cress a grin and fist pumped. "Of course. I can't wait to get my first Gym Badge!"

"Quite confident, aren't you?" Ash and Hilda turned around and saw Chili giving them a grin. "I'm going to be your opponent today Ash, so you better be ready. I'll meet you at the battlefield." Chili tossed the plate he was holding at Cress who was able to skillfully catch it.

Cress frowned at his brothers antics. "Would you two like something to eat before the battle? It's on me."

Ash was about to accept the offer but Hilda placed a hand on his mouth. "We're fine, thanks. We just ate." Cress nodded and left with the plate in his hand. "So are you ready Ash?"

Ash gave Hilda a grin. "Of course I am! And I can't wait to see the Pokémon Chili has!"

Hilda blinked, wondering if Ash was serious. "He probably has a Lillipup and a Pansear."

Ash nodded. "Probably."

"Then why are you so excited?"

Ash loved grinning, as he gave Hilda another one. "Just 'cause they're the same species doesn't mean they aren't different! Like Cilan's Lillipup. It relies on evasiveness while yours relies on endurance!"

Hilda blinked, processing the information. Her Lillipup likes to take attacks head on and then counterattack. To do that, you needed to have endurance, which is what Ash said. Cilan's Lillipup used Dig to evade and power up. It even had Double Team. To notice that right off the bat though, "Ash, you really like Pokémon, don't you?"

They were now walking down the stairs to the battlefield. "Of course! I said it before, Pokémon are my family. They're all amazing, isn't that right buddy?" Ash scratched Pikachu between the ears, knowing that it was where his partner loved being scratched.

When they arrived at the battlefield, they saw Cilan in the referee box and Chili in the trainer box. Hilda went to the bleachers while Ash went to the other trainer box. Cilan gave Ash an apologetic look. "We were going to have me as your opponent, but yesterday really took it out of my Pokémon so Chili will be your opponent if you don't mind."

Ash nodded. "Of course I don't mind! I really wanted to battle you Chili and see your Pokémon!"

"I can't wait to see your Pokémon. I heard from my brother that you're from Kanto. So you're an experienced Pokémon trainer, I take it?" Ash nodded and Chili's grin grew. "Then I don't have to hold back! Come on out!" Chili threw a Pokeball out and out appeared a red-coloured Pokémon in a white judogi.

"What is that!?" Ash exclaimed, pulling out his Pokedex immediately.

 _Throh. The Judo Pokémon. Throh is a Fighting Type Pokémon. When it encounters a foe bigger than itself, it wants to throw it. It changes belts as it gets stronger._

Putting away his Pokedex, Ash grinned. "It looks strong." Ash turned to Pikachu on his shoulder. "You're up buddy!"

Pikachu nodded and ran onto the battlefield. Cilan raised his flags. "This will be a two-on-two battle between Gym Leader Chili and the challenger Ash! Battle begin!"

"Focus Energy!" Chili called out right away. Throh closed his eyes and glowed for a second. When Throh opened his eyes, he let out a loud cry, showing he was ready to beat up anything.

"Thunderbolt!" Ash shouted. Pikachu released a stream of electricity towards Throh.

"Take it!" Chili called out. Throh put his hands in a defensive stance and took the Thunderbolt without even budging.

Ash and Pikachu were surprised. "What!?"

Chili then fist pumped. "Seismic Toss!" Throh started to run towards Pikachu, arms ready to grab the mouse.

"Thunderbolt again!" Ash shouted. Pikachu let out another Thunderbolt, hoping to stop Throh in its tracks.

"Don't stop!" Throh continued to run through the Thunderbolt, not letting it faze him. He reached Pikachu and grabbed him. He started to spin Pikachu and then released, sending Pikachu flying into a rock.

"Pikachu!" Ash shouted as Pikachu stood up. "Let's go, Quick Attack!" Pikachu gained a sudden burst in speed and charged towards Throh.

"Grab it!" Chili commanded and Throh held his hands out, ready to stop Pikachu in its tracks.

"Change your course Pikachu! Quick Attack around it!" Ash called out and Pikachu suddenly turned to the side and started running around Throh. Throh continued to keep an eye on Pikachu. "Faster Pikachu!"

"Keep an eye on Pikachu!" Chili called out and Throh attempted to not let Pikachu out of his sight, but Pikachu was too fast for him.

"Volt Tackle behind it!" When Pikachu was behind Throh, his Quick Attack changed into Volt Tackle and struck Throh from behind, sending it flying.

"Throh!" Chili exclaimed. Throh opened his eyes and landed on his feet. Chili let out a sigh of relief before pointing at Pikachu. "Use Brick Break!" Throh started running towards Pikachu once again.

The move reminded Ash of his very first battle in Sinnoh. And he'd be damned if he made the same mistake again. "Thunderbolt!" Pikachu used Thunderbolt once more, but Throh continued to run through it, slower this time however. Throh was soon right in front of Pikachu and raised his arm. "Dodge it Pikachu!"

Pikachu jumped out of the way and Throh smashed the ground. There was now a large hole where Pikachu was standing. Ash and Pikachu audibly gulped at the same time.

"If you think that was strong, then check this out! Tighten your belt Throh!" Throh did just that and his muscles had grown and was visibly stronger. Ash's Pokedex beeped.

 _When it tightens its belt, it becomes stronger._

"Now, Brick Break once more!" Throh charged at Pikachu once again.

"Throh is powerful, but very slow. Dodge it and use Thunderbolt again!" Throh once again missed Pikachu, who dodged and used another Thunderbolt. Throh once again withstood the attack and now Pikachu was panting.

"Throh, grab one of the rocks!" Throh went over to one of the rocks and held it over its head, surprising Ash and Pikachu. "Now, start spinning that rock!" Throh began to spin in place while holding the rock.

"Destroy that rock with Thunderbolt!" Ash called out. He had no idea what Chili was going to do, but it wouldn't be good.

Chili grew a smirk. "Dodge to your right." Surprisingly, Throh moved to the side while spinning the rock, avoiding the Thunderbolt.

"What!?" Ash exclaimed as Throh continued to move towards Pikachu while spinning and was only getting faster and faster. "Again!" Pikachu fired another Thunderbolt at Throh, who dodged once again.

"Get near it and smash it with the rock!" Chili called out and Throh continued to spin towards Pikachu.

"Pikachu use Volt Tackle!" Ash shouted, hoping a physical attack can get through. Pikachu charged at the spinning Throh.

"Lower the rock!" Instead of spinning it in the air, Throh lowered it to ground level and continued spinning. This caused dust to rise and Pikachu's vision was decreasing. Pikachu was soon near Throh, ready to charge at it. Still spinning the rock, Throh was able to hit Pikachu out of his Volt Tackle and send Pikachu flying. As a result however, the rock broke.

"Pikachu! Are you all right!?" Pikachu stood up once again, injured but could still fight.

"I understand using the battlefield to your advantage…but this is insane!" Hilda exclaimed from the bleachers.

"Let's end this Throh! Use Seismic Toss!" Throh started to run towards Pikachu with its hands held out in front.

"Let's meet them eye for eye! Volt Tackle!" Ash shouted and Pikachu charged once more. This attack may result in Pikachu's defeat, but Ash knew those Thunderbolts had to have done some damage.

"Stand your ground and grab it!" Chili shouted. Throh stopped running and stomped his foot, arms out in front of him.

"Keep going Pikachu! Don't stop and give them your best Volt Tackle!" Ash shouted and Pikachu started to shout as well, running as fast as he could towards Throh. Throh kept his hands open, ready to grab Pikachu. Pikachu charged into his hands, but the electricity made it hard for Throh to grab Pikachu, and Pikachu was able to deliver a direct attack at Throh's stomach, sending it flying across the battlefield.

Cilan didn't need to as much as glance at Throh to know it was unable to battle. Cilan raised a flag towards Ash. "Throh is unable to battle! Pikachu wins! Gym Leader, please select your next Pokémon!"

"That was great buddy!" Ash exclaimed as Pikachu walked back over to him, extremely exhausted and battered. "You can rest now."

Chili returned his Throh. "You did great." He looked over at Ash. "I'm impressed Ash! You and Pikachu are quite the duo, but you won't be able to beat my partner, Pansear let's go!"

The red-coloured monkey made its appearance. Ash gripped one of his Pokeballs. "I know Oshawott would be the smart choice, but I made a promise. Tepig, I choose you!" Ash's Tepig appeared on the stage and let out a cry with a determined expression.

"You sure have guts, challenging a Fire Type expert like me to a Fire Type match," Chili commented.

"I made Tepig a promise to let him battle in our first Gym Battle!" Ash explained and Tepig cried out in confirmation.

"I see. The bond between you two is something I cannot wait to see. Let's start off with Incinerate!" Pansear let out a blast of fire towards Tepig.

"Counter with Ember!" Ash called out and Tepig did just that, the two attacks cancelling one another.

"Show me what else you've got! Pansear use Acrobatics!" Chili called out. Pansear started to jump around the field, approaching Tepig.

"Use Ember!" Tepig fired an Ember at the agile monkey but Pansear dodged. "Again!" Once again it dodged and Pansear soon delivered a direct hit.

"Don't let it get up! Use Scratch!" Chili called out. Pansear raced to the knocked down Tepig.

"Ember!" Ash called out. Tepig got up and fired a quick Ember which hit the Pansear in the face. "Tackle it now!" Tepig raced towards Pansear and landed a direct hit.

"Pansear, use Acrobatics once more!" Chili called out. Recovering from the Tackle, Pansear once again leapt at Tepig. Tepig saw the attack coming and dodged to the side. "Incinerate!" Pansear released a blast of fire once more at Tepig.

"Counter again with Ember!" Ash called out. Tepig did just that and hit Pansear in the face directly. "Tackle!" Pansear was caught off guard by the Ember and was hit by the Tackle attack.

"Pansear!" Chili called out. "Use Bite!" Pansear ran up to Tepig with its mouth open ready to Bite Tepig.

Ash saw an opening however. "Use Ember at its mouth!" Tepig released fire pellets and Pansear ended up swallowing the Ember.

Pansear stopped in place. Its eyes widened and it began to fire Incinerate like crazy. Hilda ducked to avoid being burnt to a crisp. "Pansear! Calm down!" Chili shouted, but quickly ducked to avoid an Incinerate that was shot at him.

"Let's end this! Tackle!" Ash shouted. Tepig ran straight towards Pansear, who was still firing Incinerate at random spots. Tepig delivered a direct hit and sent Pansear flying.

Cilan, who had ran to the side to take cover, returned to the referee box and raised a flag towards Ash. "Pansear is unable to battle! With two Pokémon remaining, Ash the challenger wins!"

Ash grinned as he ran up to Tepig. Tepig jumped into his arms and they both cheered. "You were great out there Tepig!"

Chili sighed as he returned to Pansear and walked over to Ash. "Who would have thought that you would coincidentally find out Pansear's weakness?"

Hilda approached Ash from the bleachers. "Weakness? Isn't it Water?" Hilda asked.

"That's what he's weak to Type wise. My Pansear, despite being a Fire Type, hates to eat hot things. He hates cold things as well. And I can tell your Tepig's Ember was really hot!" Chili complimented Tepig, making Tepig cheer.

"But why did you use Throh?" Hilda asked.

"I caught him recently but I never got to use him because he's too strong to use against beginners," Chili explained. "But once I heard you were from Kanto, I was psyched! And you didn't let me down Ash."

Ash grinned. "Your Throh was really strong! So was your Pansear."

"Ash," the three trainers turned towards Cilan who had a box in his hands. "This is proof you were victorious at our Striaton Gym."

Ash accepted the Trio Badge from Cilan. He looked at it before grinning and looking at Pikachu and Tepig. "Our first Gym Badge in Unova guys!"

"I would have loved to battle you myself," Cilan said. "Your Pikachu is quite something."

"I want to battle you and Cress as well," Ash said, putting his new badge into the badge case.

"Maybe one day. You should head to Nacrene City for your next Gym Battle," Cilan suggested.

Ash and Hilda nod and left the Gym, saying goodbye to the three brothers. "You were really amazing Ash," Hilda complimented.

Ash rubbed the back of his head. "Thanks. It's all thanks to Pikachu and Tepig we won though."

"Excuse me!" Ash and Hilda turned around and saw a tall woman. She had a long lab coat and long dark-blue hair. "Are you Ash and Hilda?" Ash and Hilda nodded and the woman gave them a big smile. "I'm a friend of Professor Juniper. My name is Fennel!"

* * *

"So what's the dream Pokémon called?" Meowth asked, as he was finishing the machine that would lead to their success.

James had his good old Pokémon Cards that gives him information on Pokémon. "It's called Munna. It also leaves behind Dream Mist when it eats a dream. Its evolved form Musharna can create Dream Mist at will and put Pokémon to sleep as well as create live dreams."

"Live dreams?" Jessie asked, sitting and waiting for Meowth to be finished.

James nodded. "In other words, hallucinations but more precise and realistic."

"What are the chances of us finding a Musharna?" Jessie asked, wanting it even more.

"I wouldn't say likely. We're better off finding a Munna and evolving it," James explained.

Jessie sighed. "Of course. Meowth, are you finished yet?"

"Hold on! This Munna is a Psychic Type so I need to make sure it can't break out. And I need to make sure the twerps' Pokémon can't break it either!" Meowth grabbed a wrench and started to tighten some bolts.

"Wait a second James, what if we do find a Musharna. Shouldn't we prepare ourselves against those live dreams?" Jessie asked.

"That probably would be in our best interest. Meowth!"

"I'm already ahead of you!" Meowth went to a box and pulled out three visors. "These will allow us to see through any sort of hallucination!"

Jessie and James took the visors and put them on. "I'm impressed Meowth. Where did you get these?"

"Heh, I asked a good ol' friend of ours from HQ for them," Meowth explained. "You remember that Delibird, right?"

* * *

"When is that Delibird going to arrive with our equipment!?"

"Calm down Cassidy. Getting to Unova from Kanto isn't the easiest thing in the world. Maybe it got lost?"

* * *

"I remember him…I hate that bird," Jessie exclaimed.

"He gave us these things for free so I wouldn't complain," James said. "Though I wonder why."

"Maybe the boss ordered him to give us these as a reward for all the work we've done?" Meowth suggested. The trio looked at each other before happy expressions took over their faces.

"Then we must not let him down!" Jessie said.

* * *

Ash and Hilda were sitting in upstairs at a table in Fennel's house. Across from them was Fennel and Amanita, the girl who gave Hilda her Pansear.

"So you both have the Trio Badge?" Amanita asked. The two trainers nodded. "That's great! Before you know it you'll be at the Pokémon League!"

"Anyways, I'm here to ask you two for a favour," Fennel said. Ash and Hilda looked at her, waiting for her to continue. "You two have been to the Dreamyard, correct?"

"Yeah, we met Amanita there," Ash said.

"I want you two to find me something called Dream Mist."

Ash and Hilda were confused. "Dream Mist?"

Fennel nodded and opened a book, showing two Pokémon. "These two Pokémon are Munna and Musharna. These two Pokémon have the ability to eat dreams."

Ash and Hilda's eyes widened. "Eat dreams? What happens when it does that?" Hilda asked.

"Nothing serious happens, don't worry. The person or Pokémon would simply wake up," Fennel explained. "But when they eat a dream, they produce something called Dream Mist. I don't know much about Dream Mist, which is why I want it. I specialize in studying dreams and collecting Dream Mist will be a huge help."

"So, you want us to find some Dream Mist? But where can we find a Munna or Musharna?" Ash asked.

Fennel adjusted her glasses. "The Dreamyard used to be a research facility. It was destroyed by an unfortunate accident but is now home to wild Pokémon, Munna and Musharna being some of them."

"Are we allowed to go there though? There was a really tall fence and it seemed to be prohibited," Hilda said.

"You are correct Hilda. Which is why I was able to get these," Fennel pulled out an envelope and handed it to Hilda. "This is a writ from Officer Jenny that allows me to investigate the Dreamyard. With this, you should be able to search the Dreamyard without any disturbances."

Hilda took the writ and looked at Ash. "What do you think Ash?"

Ash gave Hilda his usual grin. "I say we do it. I want to meet Munna and Musharna as well!"

Hilda nodded and turned to Fennel. "How do we collect Dream Mist?"

Fennel turned to Amanita who gave Hilda a small test tube. "All you do is scoop it up with this," Amanita said. "That simple."

Hilda nodded and stood up. "You can count on us. We'll be back with some Dream Mist!"

Fennel nodded. "Thank you and good luck!"

Ash and Hilda started to head back to the Dreamyard. "So Fennel said Dream Mist is only made when Munna or Musharna eats dreams, right?" Hilda asked, wanting to confirm with Ash.

"Pretty sure that's what she said," Ash replied.

"Then how do we get the Dream Mist to appear?" Hilda furrowed her brows. "This is going to be harder than we thought."

"I guess we just need to have them eat a dream then," Ash scratched his cheek. "Or maybe we can catch a Munna for ourselves?"

"That may work!" Hilda exclaimed. "Whoever finds a Munna or Musharna will get the honours of catching it, deal?"

Ash gave Hilda a confident grin. "Deal! But just know that it's gonna be me!"

* * *

"Munna, where are you?" Jessie called out as she and James sneaked around through the tall grass.

"If only we had a good idea of where it lives. The townsfolk just said the Dreamyard and nothing else," James whined.

"Oh stop complaining and start looking!" Jessie almost yelled.

"I should have stayed back with Meowth," James complained once more but immediately started looking once Jessie glared at him. "Oh Munna, Munna, Munna!"

"Shh!" Jessie exclaimed and crouched down in the grass. James was about to speak but Jessie covered his mouth and forced him to crouch. "Look!" She whispered.

James looked ahead and saw two people. They were both in some white medieval knight's outfit. "They look like those people on the news. Everyone's talking about them and how they fight for Pokémon liberation," James explained quietly.

"Any sign of a Munna or Musharna?" The male Plasma grunt asked.

The female one shook her head. "No sign of it. I wonder if they know that we're searching for them and are hiding."

"I doubt it. They must be rare or something," the male one said. The two started to walk away.

"So they're searching for those dream Pokémon as well?" Jessie looked at James. "We need to make sure they do not get in our way! Follow them!"

James pointed to himself. "Why do I have to follow them?"

"Well we don't have any Pokémon that are from this region and can blend in!" Jessie exclaimed.

James frowned, wondering how he blends in more than his own Pokémon before seeing a Patrat scurry by with various bruises. James had a sudden idea and tossed a Pokeball at it. The Pokeball shook three times before a ding was heard. Both Jessie and James stared at the Pokeball in shock.

James picked up the Pokeball and took out one of his Pokémon cards. "I think he'll be very useful to us. He's classified as the Scout Pokémon." James said.

Recovering from her shock, Jessie spoke. "Good. Use the rat to observe their movements."

James nodded and released the Patrat, who looked around confused. James crouched down in front of it. "Hey there. I'm James, your new trainer." Patrat took a few steps back before collapsing due to injuries. James quickly picked him up. "You're hurt. Good thing I have a Super Potion," James sprayed the Potion on Patrat, healing the bruises all over Patrat's body.

Patrat woke up and noticed he was feeling much better. He looked at James who gave him a smile. "There, you're all better. But what happened to you? Did you get attacked by the Pokémon here?" Patrat shook his head.

Jessie stepped in. "Did you get attacked by two trainers that looked like buffoons?" Patrat nodded. "Perfect. What do you say you help us out? They're getting in our way and we need someone to observe them."

The Patrat nodded, wanting to help the trainer who healed him and to wrong the trainers who harmed him. James smiled. "That was fast. They went that way," James pointed in a direction. "Report back if you find out anything." Patrat nodded and ran off.

"Useful little rat," Jessie commented. "Let's continue searching while we wait for Meowth.

* * *

Ash and Hilda continued to chat as they eventually made their way to the destroyed building. "How exactly do we get in? It looks like this whole place has been fenced off," Hilda said.

"Just climb the fence!" Ash exclaimed, already starting to climb the fence.

"Are we allowed to do that?" Hilda looked around, and seeing no other way she sighed. "Fine," she said as Ash already made it to the other side. Hilda was considered to be "the coolest goody-goody" of Nuvema Town. She never broke any rules or did outrageous things but she was always easy to get along with. So climbing a fence was a first for her.

"Hilda, what are you doing?" Ash asked with his head tilted as Hilda tried to climb the fence.

"What does it look like I'm doing?" Hilda retorted, finding it very difficult to climb the fence.

"Put your shoes in the little gaps," Ash said and Hilda did just that. Now that she had a grip, she climbed the fence rather easily and made it to the top.

She sat on top of the fence and looked down at Ash. "How do I get down?"

"You can either jump, or climb down the way you climbed up," Ash explained.

Hilda nodded and slowly made her way down but this time she lost her grip and started to fall. Ash's eyes widened as Hilda fell right on top of him. "Ow…"

Hilda opened her eyes and saw herself on top of Ash. She got up and extended a hand. "Thanks for breaking my fall," Hilda said with a sheepish smile.

Ash grabbed her hand and Hilda pulled him up. Ash dusted his pants. "No problem." The two turned around and looked at the debris in front of them. "Let's get searching!" Ash exclaimed.

They walked deeper into the Dreamyard, noticing all the Pokémon that have made this area their home. "I see so many different types of Pokémon, but no Munna's. Are Munna's rare?" Hilda asked.

Ash shrugged before grinning. "If they are, the more reason to catch one!"

Hilda rolled her eyes and they continued onwards. Hilda looked around a bit before realizing something. "Hey Ash, if it's a competition to find a Munna first, shouldn't we split up?"

Ash blinked. "Good idea! See ya Hilda!" And like that, Ash disappeared making Hilda sweat drop and shake her head.

"Ash is just so…" Hilda smiled slightly as she walked in the opposite direction Ash went in. "Maybe Lillipup and Gothita can help me." Hilda released her two trusty Pokémon and continued searching for Munna.

Ash jumped on top of a piece of debris. "See any Munna buddy?" Ash asked. Pikachu shook his head and Ash sighed. "This is harder than I thought."

Ash blinked as he saw a Patrat scurry by so quickly that Ash wasn't even sure if it was there. Shrugging, Ash continued his search. Pikachu seemed to notice something and jumped off Ash's shoulder. "Did you find one!?" Pikachu shook his head and ran off. Ash quickly ran after Pikachu. Pikachu was standing behind a piece of debris.

"What's up buddy?" Ash asked, poking his head from behind the piece of debris. His eyes widened as he saw two people in a familiar knights costume. "Team Plasma," Ash whispered. Ash's eyes widened even more at what was in the male's hands.

"So that's a Munna, huh?" The female one said, looking at it closely. "Aren't these flower patterns cute? So how do we get the Dream Mist from it?"

The male shrugged. "I would assume it has it stored inside its body."

"So we need to get it out of its body then? Hey! Give us some Dream Mist!" The female one shouted at the poor Munna in the male's arms.

"You heard her," the male grunt said, dropping Munna on the ground. Ash noticed that the Munna was injured and couldn't get away.

Ash's eyes widened once again when the two grunts started kicking the poor Pokémon. Ash gritted his teeth and clenched his fists. "I thought they were supposed to care about a Pokémon's wellbeing!"

Ash jumped out from behind the debris. "Stop!" Ash exclaimed, surprising the two grunts.

"Huh? Who's this brat?" The female grunt asked.

"Doesn't matter. I'll make sure he stays quiet, you get the dream mist," the male grunt said, pulling out a Pokeball. Pikachu jumped off from Ash's shoulder and his cheeks started to spark. "Herdier!" A light brown canine with blue fur appeared. Ash pulled out his Pokedex.

 _Herdier. The Loyal Dog Pokémon. Herdier is a Normal Type Pokémon and is the evolved form of Lillipup. This very loyal Pokémon helps trainers, and it also takes care of other Pokémon._

Ash slipped his Pokedex into his pocket and instantly called an attack. "Thunderbolt!" Pikachu sent out a stream of electricity which landed a direct hit against Herdier.

"A Pokedex," the male grunt said to himself. "If we can get that…Herdier! Use Take Down!" Herdier charged towards Pikachu and landed a direct hit.

"Pikachu, use Thunderbolt once more!" Ash shouted and Pikachu did just that.

"Dodge and use Crunch!" The grunt exclaimed. Herdier avoided the Thunderbolt and headed straight towards Pikachu.

"Volt Tackle!" Ash called out. Pikachu charged towards the Herdier and dealt a devastating blow against Herdier, sending it flying into its trainer. Ash grinned. "Great job buddy!"

The female grunt walked up to her partner who just got up and returned his Herdier. "Were you going easy on him because he was a kid? Well prepare yourself kid, for I'm not holding back!" The female grunt tossed a Pokeball into the air and out came a blue toad-like Pokémon. Ash was going to pull out his Pokedex, but the grunt commanded an attack. "Mud Shot, Palpitoad!"

Ash's eyes widened as the Pokemon, now identified as Palpitoad shot a ball of mud at Pikachu, sending Pikachu flying. "Pikachu! Are you okay? Try Thunderbolt!" Pikachu got up and used Thunderbolt, however Palpitoad took it and sustained no damage. "I had a feeling it was a Ground Type. Use Iron Tail!"

"Uproar!" The female grunt commanded and Pikachu stopped his attack and tried to cover his ears from the loud noise. Ash was doing the same.

"Iron Tail, Pikachu!" Ash tried to call out but Pikachu was unable to hear him as Palpitoad continued the Uproar. When the Uproar subsided, Pikachu was stunned slightly.

"Mud Shot!" Pikachu was struck with a ball of mud and sent flying into Ash's arms, defeated.

"Pikachu! Thanks buddy," Ash place Pikachu on the ground and immediately threw another Pokeball. The familiar sea otter made its stand. Oshawott stood proud, until he saw his opponent and ran behind Ash's legs. "Oshawott! Now's not the time to be scared!" Oshawott looked at Ash, then noticed Pikachu on the ground injured and unconscious. Oshawott nodded and stepped forward with a gulp.

"That's the spirit! Now let's start with Water Gun!" Oshawott shot a torrent of water and hit Palpitoad directly in the chest.

"Palpitoad use Uproar once more!" The grunt commanded.

"Razor Shell!" Ash commanded quickly. Oshawott began running to the Palpitoad with his Scalchop-razor, but Palpitoad's Uproar caused Oshawott to stop in his tracks and cover his eyes and ears. Ash endured the Uproar and cupped his hands around his mouth. "OSHAWOTT!" Oshawott opened his eyes and began running once more, enduring the Uproar and delivered a direct horizontal slash, knocking out Palpitoad.

"How can this be?" The grunt asked, returning her Palpitoad. She turned around towards the Munna. "No matter, we must get the Dream Mist." The grunt resumed assaulting Munna and kicked her into a tree.

"Stop it!" Ash exclaimed, running towards them. The male grunt stood in his way and shoved Ash on the ground.

"Stay out of our way boy," the grunt said.

Ash gritted his teeth as he saw the female grunt resume kicking the poor Munna. "Oshawott, Water Gun!" Ash exclaimed. Oshawott fired a Water Gun towards the female grunt, when it was soon intercepted by another Water Gun. In front of the female grunt was a Dewott, but the female grunt was still kicking the Munna.

Ash whipped his head towards the grunt who had a smirk on his face. "We always come prepared. Did you know this Dewott belonged to a trainer who released him?"

Ash's eyes widened. "Then why do you have him?"

The grunt shrugged. "He liked me and asked to join me. How could I say no?"

Ash got up glared at the grunt who continued to smirk. He glanced at the Munna who was still being abused. "There's one way," Ash muttered. "Oshawott, Water Gun at Dewott!"

"Counter!" The grunt said and two Water Guns collided.

Ash used the distraction gripped a Pokeball and tossed it. The Pokeball was sent flying and it hit Munna, who was absorbed into it. The ball shook three times and then a click was heard.

The two grunts stared with shocked expressions before the female grunt turned towards her partner and glared. "Are you telling me you never bothered to capture it!?"

The male grunt stepped back. "Um, I, uh…"

"You idiot!" Ash tried to sneak away and grab the Pokeball, but they noticed and the Female Grunt went to pick up the Pokeball, when it was suddenly snatched by a quick blur.

Ash turned to his side to see a familiar purple cat holding Munna's Pokeball in her paws. "Good job Purrloin!" Ash looked to the side to see Hilda standing on some debris. She jumped down and stood next to Ash's Oshawott. Purrloin handed Ash Munna's Pokeball. Ash took it and gave Purrloin a quick pet on the head.

The two trainers and their Pokémon glared at the two Plasma Grunts. "This is all your fault!" The female grunt exclaimed.

"My fault!? You were the one who wasn't able to get the Dream Mist fast enough!" The male grunt retorted.

"If you had just captured it we would have all the time in the world!" The female grunt shouted.

"Let's get out of here," the male grunt said, returning his Dewott. The two grunts then ran away.

Ash let out a breath as he walked over to Hilda. "Thanks for the help Hilda."

Hilda returned Purrloin and gave Ash a smile. "What would you do without me, huh?"

Ash laughed and released the Munna. The Munna floated for a second before falling. Ash quickly caught her. "You poor thing…To go through that, no Pokémon should ever have to go through something like that," Ash shook his head at the memory of the abuse Munna just went through. The Munna opened its eyes and saw Ash's eyes. Munna could sense Ash's emotion, and it wasn't anything malicious. Munna liked that and closed her eyes.

"So that's a Munna," Hilda said, pulling out her Pokedex. "It's so cute."

 _Munna. The Dream Eater Pokémon. Munna is a Psychic Type Pokémon._ _This Pokémon appears before people and Pokémon who are having nightmares and eats those dreams._

Hilda put away her Pokedex. "Looks like you won't have to worry about having any nightmares Ash."

Ash laughed. "I guess so. Now let's go heal Munna and Pikachu," Ash turned around and saw Pikachu still on the grass.

"I'll carry Pikachu," Hilda said, running over to Pikachu and picking him up. Ash returned Oshawott and ran up to Hilda. They both started to leave when a sudden thud from behind them shook the ground. They turned around and their eyes widened at the giant Wobbuffet in front of them. "Can Wobbuffet's get that big!?"

Ash shook his head. "I doubt that. That can't be a Munna."

"Then what is it?"

"What is it?' is the question indeed!" Jessie's voice could be heard through a microphone.

"We'll answer you as we feel the need!" James's voice also could be heard through a microphone.

"Bringing the blinding white light of evil into the future!"

"Thrusting the hammer of justice down on the black darkness of the universe!"

"Carving our names in the Rock of Eternity!" Meowth's voice was also heard through a microphone, but his was the loudest.

"The fiery destroyer, Jessie!"

"And with thunderous emotion, I am James!"

"Wisest of the wise, Meowth!"

"And now gather, under the name of Team Rocket!"

"Wobbuffet!"

"Team Rocket's inside of that giant Wobbuffet?" Hilda asked, her eyes wide.

"Meet our Mecha Wobbuffet 2.0!" The voice of Meowth was heard. "And here's what it can do!" The Mecha Wobbuffet's arms extended and grabbed both Pikachu and Munna from Ash and Hilda's arms.

"Pikachu! Munna!" Ash shouted.

Team Rocket laughed. "We got ourselves both a Munna and Pikachu! This is a guaranteed promotion!" James exclaimed.

"Oh no you don't! Tepig, Ember!" Ash released Tepig who fired an Ember. To their surprise the Ember was reflected before it reached the machine. Ash and Tepig jumped out of the way. "What was that?"

They heard Team Rocket laugh. "Our Mecha Wobbuffet 2.0 can reflect any and all attacks!" Meowth explained.

Hilda furrowed her brows. The Ember had never even reached the robot to be reflected, so it couldn't have been the machine. Hilda looked closely at the machine before noticing something on the head. "Ash! On the head!" Ash looked where Hilda was pointing and saw a satellite of some sort. "That satellite must be projecting their Wobbuffet's attack!"

Ash scratched his head. "What? That thing is using a Pokémon attack?"

Hilda face palmed and shook her head. "No, their Wobbuffet is probably inside the machine and is hooked up to the satellite. So whatever Wobbuffet uses is sent through that satellite to reflect our attacks!"

Ash's brain was ready to explode at this point. "O-kay. So destroying it will solve all our problems?" Hilda nodded and Ash looked at Tepig. "Can you reach the top of that machine?"

Tepig fired an Ember in response but it was reflected once again. "Ahahaha! There is nothing you can do now twerp," Jessie laughed. The machine was starting to lift off with rockets attached to the foot of the machine.

"Oh no you don't! Get back down here!" Ash shouted, returning Tepig and running towards the machine.

"Why would we do that?" Meowth asked.

"Gothita! Use Psybeam at the rockets!" Hilda called out. Gothita fired a beam and destroyed one of the rocket boosters, but the Wobbuffet was still able to fly with one of its boosters.

Ash looked around and saw a familiar dove Pokémon. Ash once again threw a Pokeball at it and caught the Pokémon. He immediately sent it out. "Hey, mind if you give me a hand? I need you to destroy something that's on top of that things head," Ash pointed towards the flying machine. The little bird Pokémon nodded and flew off.

Jessie and James were rejoicing while Meowth remained flying the machine. They didn't notice their satellite get destroyed, so they were confused by the sudden thud against their machine. "Meowth, what was that?" James asked.

Meowth turned the machine around and they were surprised to see Ash and Hilda with all their Pokémon using attacks. Jessie whipped her head to her Wobbuffet. "What are you doing!?"

Wobbuffet used Mirror Coat, but it didn't do anything for the machine and soon the machine plummeted to the ground. "Meowth! I thought we were indestructible!"

They stepped out of the rubble and ended up facing the twerps. Ash however rushed towards the rubble to try and find his two Pokémon, but Team Rocket stood in his way. Ash gritted his teeth. "Tepig Ember, Oshawott Water Gun!" The two Pokémon sent their attacks at Team Rocket.

"Wobbuffet!" Jessie called out. Wobbuffet appeared in front of Jessie and reflected both attacks.

"Now!" Ash shouted. From above Ash's bird Pokémon came and delivered a direct Quick Attack, sending Wobbuffet flying into the trio.

"Ugh return!" Jessie returned Wobbuffet before standing up once more. "Yanmega! Ancient Power!"

"Carnivine! Bullet Seed!"

"Oshawott, Water Gun against Yanmega! Tepig, Ember against Carnivine," Ash commanded. The two Pokémon did so, overpowering the attacks and defeating both Pokémon.

Ash rushed past them and pulled out Pikachu and Munna from the destroyed machine. He noticed both Pokémon were now conscious. "I'm glad you're both okay." Ash turned around and glared at Team Rocket. Team Rocket turned around to escape but stopped by Hilda. Ash looked at Pikachu who nodded. "Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!"

Pikachu fired a Thunderbolt at Team Rocket, resulting in an explosion and a familiar scene. "This felt like it went by too fast," James said.

"Look on the bright side! The Munna and Pikachu are with the twerp now!" Meowth said.

"That's right! Pikachu and Munna will be ours!" Jessie exclaimed.

"Team Rocket's blasting off again!"

Ash adjusted his cap and returned his Pokémon. "We need to get to the Pokémon Center now," Ash said, running to the fence. Hilda returned her Pokémon and followed Ash back to the Pokémon Center.

"…" A man in a purple cloak stepped forward from behind a large piece of debris. "This is most troublesome," the man turned around and saw a Munna float by. He tossed a black and yellow Pokeball at it. The Ultra Ball shook three times before capturing the Munna. The man then disappeared into thing air.

* * *

Ash and Hilda were eating at the Pokémon Center at a table. Ash was silent, remembering what those Plasma grunts did to Munna. "I still can't believe them…"

Hilda looked down. "I thought they wanted Pokémon to be free, happy."

"I had a feeling I would find you here," Ash and Hilda looked up to see Fennel approach them. "So how'd it go?"

Ash pulled down his cap. "I caught a Munna."

Fennel clapped her hands. "Wonderful! Do you mind if I see it?"

Hilda looked at Ash with a worried expression. "Nurse Joy is taking care of it," Hilda spoke for Ash.

Fennel frowned before smiling. "That's fine. I hope you two will stop by tomorrow to show it to me," and with that, Fennel left.

Hilda was opened her mouth to say something but was interrupted by the speaker calling them both to the front desk. Nurse Joy handed them both their Pokeballs and Pikachu jumped on Ash's shoulder. Ash noticed he only received 2 Pokeballs. "Nurse Joy, what about Munna?"

"Munna is fine but she'll need a full nights rest to fully recover," Nurse Joy explained, handing Ash Munna's Pokeball.

Ash let out a breath of relief. "Thank you Nurse Joy." Nurse Joy nodded before leaving to heal other Pokémon. Ash took his bird Pokémon's Pokeball and sent out the little dove. Ash pulled out his Pokedex.

 _Pidove. The Tiny Pigeon Pokémon. Pidove is a Normal and Flying Type Pokémon._ _This very forgetful Pokémon will wait for a new order from its Trainer even though it already has one._

Ash put away his Pokedex and raised an arm. Pidove flew and landed on his arm. Ash faced Pidove and smiled. "Hey, I'm Ash. Sorry about just catching you out of nowhere. Things weren't going in my favour so I want to say thanks for helping us out." Pidove responded with a cheer. "So if you want to go back to the Dreamyard just let me know."

Pidove placed a wing near her beak, adopting something that resembled a thinking pose, before raising both wings. "You want to come with me?" A cheer and Ash grinned. "Great! Glad to have you on the team Pidove!"

Ash returned Pidove and turned to face Hilda. "Man things have been crazy around here, huh?"

Hilda giggled. "It seems like wherever you go something exciting happens."

Ash and Pikachu looked at each other before laughing. "You know, that's true. And you don't even know the half of it!"

Hilda blinked before tilting her head. "What do you mean?" Ash shrugged before heading off to their room. Hilda frowned and chased after him. "Ash!"

Ash kept walking with a grin on his face as Hilda kept shouting his name. He was not expecting Hilda to jump on his back however, resulting in the two of them to fall on the ground. "Ow…what was that for Hilda?"

"You're the one who kept ignoring me," Hilda responded, getting up.

Ash got up as well and sighed. "I guess that's true." Ash looked around and then back at Hilda. He rubbed his head sheepishly. "Which one is our room?"

Hilda rolled her eyes at Ash and walked a few doors down before stopping and opening a door. The two went to sleep after chatting for a while.

In the middle of the night, Munna awoke. She floated out of the bed and opened the door with her Confusion. Munna sensed a nightmare and was determined to take it as a snack. She eventually found the room that was the source of the nightmare and opened the door with Confusion. There she saw a girl sleeping on one side of the room in a bed and a boy sleeping on the other side of the room. The boy, she recognized, was the one who saved her. She went up to him and nudged him, trying to wake him up but to no avail. Munna decided to begin eating his nightmare.

When Munna finished eating the nightmare, Ash began to stir. He sat up and rubbed his eyes and looked around before spotting Munna. "Munna!" Ash whispered. He got out of bed and hugged the little Pokémon. "How are you feeling?" Munna responded with a happy cheer, making Ash smile.

"Glad to hear that." Ash looked behind Munna and noticed that there was a blue puff of smoke that had an image in it. "Is that…my dream?" Ash asked. Munna nodded and they both watched the nightmare. It was a replay of the events that happened earlier.

Ash clenched his fists. "Those guys are gonna pay for what they did to you."

"Munna," Munna said worriedly, snapping Ash from his thoughts.

"Sorry, I just hate it when people abuse Pokémon like that. Hey, that reminds me," Ash went to his bag and pulled out the test tube Fennel gave him. He scooped up some of the Dream Mist and closed the tube. "Fennel's going to be happy when I show her this. Thanks Munna."

Munna responded with a happy cheer making Ash smile. Ash pulled out his Pokedex from his bag and scanned Munna to learn more about her moves.

* * *

"This is INCREDIBLE!" Ash and Hilda put their hands on their ears from Fennel's squeal. "I have never seen Dream Mist like this before!"

Ash took off his hat and rubbed his head. "What's different?" Ash asked.

Amanita showed them a picture of Dream Mist on a monitor. "Dream Mist is normally pink coloured. But the one your Munna produced was blue," Amanita said.

"So…?"

"Meaning Ash, your Munna is a rare kind of its species. If you don't mind, would you leave Munna here with me so I may do some more research?" Fennel asked.

Ash furrowed his brows as he looked at Munna. Munna didn't seem to like that idea and floated into Ash's arms. "I don't know…what will you be researching?"

Fennel gave Ash a smile. "Nothing to fear! All we'll be doing is have Munna eat some dreams. That's all. And if you ever want her back all you need to do is ask!"

Ash looked at Munna and gave her a smile. "What do you say Munna? It would really help Fennel out if you stay."

Fennel nodded. "And if you ever want to see Ash, let me know and I'll contact him right away!"

Munna nodded and floated out of Ash's hands towards Fennel. Ash handed Fennel Munna's Pokeball. "Take good care of her. She's been through a lot."

Fennel nodded. "You can count on me Ash. Remember to call if you ever want to see her."

Ash nodded. "Thanks Fennel. Thanks Amanita." With that, Ash and Hilda left Striaton City for Route 3, ready to go to Nacrene City and get their second Gym Badge.

* * *

 **So sorry for the wait! I have been so busy. More busy than I expected. So here's a longer than usual chapter for you!**

 **Tell me what you think about Chili owning a Throh. I thought it may get a bit boring seeing a third Lillipup here so I switched it up a bit. If you guys don't like the battle I'll change it, but I hope you do like it!**

 **Fact about my life: That fence scene with Hilda was based on a real life experience where my friend couldn't climb a fence and they tried so hard while I just waited on the other side. I told them what Ash told Hilda and when they made it to the top, they fell on me! Don't know why I decided to put that in my story but it's a memory that allows me to make fun of that friend. Not like you guys really care haha.**

 **While I have been busy, I still have thought about ideas for this fic and I have thought of some cool ideas for the far future.**

 **Also, Castelia City is coming up, while not soon but still. Now in the game its Castelia City where you get the chance to get a Victini. In the anime, they encountered Victini sometime after Castelia because Ash has Tranquil. So I would like to ask how you would want the Victini chapter to be like. Would you like it to be based off of the games or the anime or a combination of both? If you choose the anime, just know that Zekrom and Reshiram will not appear and I'll have to improvise or you guys can suggest two Legendary replacements :P I have no idea what to do for Victini's chapter. I was thinking of incorporating Team Plasma in it, but that's all I have so far for ideas. So suggest ideas, what you think should happen, anything at all!**

 **And that's it I believe. Thanks for reading!**


	9. Whipping Love

**Martyn:** **It's been so long since I've seen Land Before Time…so long that I forgot it even had movies. The idea is good, just so random and I don't think I would be able to use it properly. It seems more like a one-shot then something that should be incorporated into a story like mine.**

 **ShadeZyro:** **Glad you thought the fight was interesting. Better than bad :P  
I felt like Munna would be better off with Ash since his dream has been the focus of the anime from when he switched from wanting to catch them all to being the very best. And don't worry, Munna won't become the Primeape of this fic.  
That's a good point. It may be your opinion, but I do value opinions.**

 **Legionary Prime:** **Othelloshipping is underrated so maybe this story can help spread it. Ash will not get Zekrom/Reshiram in the Victini part. If I do that, it will take everything away from the Team Plasma plot.**

 **Guest:** **He won't be bringing back any Pokémon until after the league. Whether he'll win the league or not, I haven't decided and won't be deciding for a very long time.**

 **Guest:** **Thank you! Should be fixed now!**

 **The 6th Spectral King:** **Pignite probably would have been better but Gym Leaders tend not to have Starter-*remembers Gardenia* Yeah, Pignite** ** _may_** **have been better…**

 **King nintendo:** **If I tell you he won't be a mystery man, now would he? :P**

 **UpbeatButNegative:** **I forgot about Cotonee and Whimsicott. I have to think of something for the Pokedex entry…Hm.  
I'm glad you liked the battle and didn't think giving Throh to Chili was weird. Yeah this will probably be the case with other Gym Leaders so fights don't get boring. I didn't make Ash lose a Pokémon to show he retained his skills but yes, Gym Leaders will be getting tougher and look forward for some fights that will be entirely different from the anime's *coughElesacough*  
Haha, I wasn't hurt too badly and I was too busy laughing to notice any pain.  
That's pretty much the case. The three groups hate each other and will always get in one's way. The battles are only just beginning. Jessie and James both do love their Pokémon and I felt disappointed in them for catching a total of THREE Pokémon in all of Unova. While they tend to not catch many Pokémon, the anime made them solely use Unova Pokémon so they should have caught more, but whatever. What's done is done.  
That's pretty much how Munna is going to be. Hope that isn't a problem though.  
Thank you so much for your review!**

 **MalevolentDarkness16:** **She was definitely annoying for the beginning, but I think she got better towards the end. There were two things that ticked me, and probably most fans, off. The fact that Pikachu lost to a new trainer who had just gotten their starter and that Ash was still 10 years old. So of course I was going to change both of those. Thank you very much!**

* * *

Hilda was looking at a new map that Ash bought them. Hilda decided she would keep the map since Ash wasn't to be trusted with it. "So we head this way and when we get to a fork in the path we turn left and continue from there," Hilda explained.

Ash nodded then tilted his head. "What if we don't turn left?"

"We would reach a cave called Wellspring Cave," Hilda said.

Ash scratched his head. On one hand, he wanted to get his second gym badge. On the other, he would love to meet some more Pokémon. "Pokémon, or badge?" Ash put out his hands in front of him. One hand had a Pokeball while the other had his badge case. Hilda just watched Ash with an amused expression as he lifted one hand, then the other, and kept repeating. Ash soon came to a decision and put away his badge case and Pokeball. "Let's go to Wellspring Cave!"

Hilda rolled her eyes. "I knew you were going to say that. But it's not like we're going to get there today. This Route is quite big, so it will take us a while to reach the cave," Hilda explained to Ash, who sighed then looked at Pikachu.

"Well I guess we can do some training today then. Gotta prepare for the next gym!" Ash fist-pumped with a grin on his face, making Hilda laugh.

They decided to continue walking for a bit before finding a spot to train. The two trainers released all their Pokémon. On Ash's side there was Pikachu, Oshawott, Tepig, and Pidove. On Hilda's side there was her Oshawott, Lillipup, Gothita, Pansear, and Purrloin.

"All right everyone! It is time to do some training," Ash exclaimed making all the Pokémon cheer except for Pansear who was neutral. "So let's start off with Oshawott." Both Oshawott's cheered before looking at each other. "My Oshawott," Ash clarified. Ash's Oshawott cheered and walked over to Ash.

"Okay, I need a training buddy for Oshawott," Ash said, looking over his Pokémon. "Pidove, let's start with you and see how fast you are in the air." Pidove raised a wing in agreement before lifting off.

Ash directed his other Pokémon to work on their moves and stamina while he trainer Pidove and Oshawott. His other Pokémon did just that and went to the side to not interfere with Ash's training. Hilda and her Pokémon decided to stand aside and watch Ash train Oshawott and Pidove, maybe learn a few things as well.

Ash nodded to Pidove, signalling that Pidove was flying at an appropriate height. Ash turned to Oshawott. "All right Oshawott, you're going to fire Water Gun at Pidove and try to hit her, got it?" Oshawott nodded and Ash looked up at Pidove.

"And Pidove, you're going to dodge the Water Gun attacks and fire an Air Cutter as a counterattack, okay?" Pidove let out a cry in confirmation and Ash grinned. "Now Oshawott!"

Oshawott immediately fired a Water Gun that shot straight towards Pidove. Pidove however easily dodged the attack and flapped a wing causing wind to take a physical form and head straight towards Oshawott.

"Oshawott, counter with Water Gun!" Ash commanded. Oshawott fired a Water Gun which hit the Air Cutter and resulted in a small explosion, the attacks cancelling each other out. Ash fist pumped. "That's it! Keep doing just that you two!"

The two Pokémon nodded and continued their training as Ash walked over to Pikachu and Tepig. "Okay Tepig, we're going to work on getting you to learn a new move!" Tepig cheered at that, making Ash grin.

"Bianca's Tepig had a move called Flame Charge. It seems to be similar to Pikachu's Volt Tackle, but her Tepig didn't get hurt by the attack. If you learn this move, you'll have a huge edge in close battles. So we're going to have you and Pikachu run around this area. Pikachu, use Volt Tackle every so often to give Tepig an example of what his attack is going to look like."

Ash's two Pokémon nodded and started to run around the clearing. Ash turned towards Hilda to see her talking to her Pokémon, telling them what to do. He watched as her Pokémon split up and started to train. Gothita and Lillipup were training together, working on their attacks while Oshawott and Purrloin were training with Pansear to improve Pansear's evasiveness.

Ash turned back to his own Pokémon, making sure they were training correctly. He watched as Pidove kept avoiding Oshawott's Water Gun and counterattacking. Minutes passed and Oshawott was now easily dodging Pidove's attacks and finally, Oshawott landed a direct hit.

"Great job Oshawott!" Ash praised, making the little otter dance. Ash looked up at Pidove. "Are you all right Pidove?" Pidove responded with a cry signifying that she was fine and fired an Air Cutter at Oshawott, whose guard was down.

Oshawott was sent flying a short distance before glaring at Pidove. "You can't let your guard up Oshawott," Ash said. "Continue your training, I don't think Pidove is going to go easy on you anymore." Oshawott nodded and patted his scalchop before firing a Water Gun at Pidove who dodged and counterattacked.

Ash nodded as the two continued training and looked towards Pikachu and Tepig. Pikachu and Tepig raced to one side of the field and back and continued to do so. The difference in speed was very noticeable, after all Pikachu has defeated many Pokémon with speed alone. Ash remembered that Pikachu learned Volt Tackle by accident when he used Quick Attack. He was hoping that by running and increasing Tepig's speed and endurance, Tepig would be able to learn Flame Charge.

"Maybe it's too early," Ash mumbled. "Tepig! Pikachu!"

The two Pokémon stopped their training and ran over to Ash. "We're going to change it up. You two are going to train by battling now. Tepig, I want you to use Tackle and Pikachu I want you to use Quick Attack."

The two Pokémon nodded before running a certain distance away from each other. Pikachu quickly gained a burst of speed and charged towards Tepig. Tepig decided to meet the attack with Tackle and also raced towards Pikachu. Ash noticed that Tepig was much faster than before and seemed to have a much better footing.

"Hey! A Pokémon!" Ash turned around and a couple of kids enter the clearing. They were approaching Hilda's Gothita and Lillipup.

Hilda also noticed them and walked over to the kids from watching her other Pokémon's training. "Hi there kids, what are you doing out here in this forest?"

The kids were startled by Hilda's appearance and quickly ran away. Hilda frowned and turned towards Ash. "Was it something I said?"

Ash shrugged and opened his mouth to say something until he heard Pikachu cry. Ash turned around quickly and saw Pikachu get sent flying. "Pikachu!" Ash exclaimed running towards Pikachu. All of the Pokémon stopped training and went over to Ash and Pikachu. "Are you all right?"

Pikachu nodded and stood up and glared at what attacked him. It was a small brown crocodile with black striped across its body. It interestingly enough had a pair of red sunglasses. "Oh, that's a Sandile," Hilda exclaimed, bother her and Ash pulling out their Pokedex.

 _Sandile. The Desert Croc Pokémon. Sandile is a Ground and Dark Type Pokémon._ _They live hidden under hot desert sands in order to keep their body temperature from dropping._

"What's a Sandile doing out here in a forest then?" Hilda asked aloud.

"Who knows," Ash watched as Pikachu and Sandile had a stare down. "But I do know that it's trying to pick a fight with Pikachu, and we're not going to run away!" Pikachu let out a few sparks and a cry in agreement.

"Quick Attack!" Pikachu gained a burst of speed and charged at Sandile. Sandile was able to avoid the attack by burrowing underground. Ash resisted the urge to groan, having seen this attack a lot as of late. "Be careful Pikachu, it could come out of anywhere!"

Ash and Pikachu kept a good look at the ground, waiting for the attack. Sandile appeared from behind Pikachu immediately and before Ash and Pikachu could react the Sandile shot a sand vortex out of its mouth.

"Pikachu!" Ash shouted as Pikachu was now caught in a vortex of sand, continuously taking damage. The Sandile raised its feet for an attack but stopped and turned around, looking at the bushes. Sandile then dug underground and retreated, making the vortex surrounding Pikachu disappear. Ash ran up to Pikachu and picked him up. "You did great Pikachu. Next time, we'll defeat that Sandile for sure!" Ash fist pumped and Pikachu weakly mimicked him.

"Here," Ash turned his head to see Hilda handing him a Super Potion.

"Thanks," Ash healed Pikachu and soon Pikachu was as good as new. "Why do you think it ran away?"

Hilda put a finger on her chin before turning to where the bushes were. "There must have been something in those bushes that startled Sandile."

"Really?" Ash turned towards the bushes and called out. "Anybody there?"

The bushes rustled before a lady appeared from the bushes with some kids following her. "So there really are trainers here," the lady mumbled. The woman had brown hair, a light-orange shirt, blue jeans, and was wearing a light-green apron.

Both Ash and Hilda approached the woman. "Um, is there something we can do for you?" Hilda asked.

The woman seemed to snap out of her thoughts and looked at them both. "Oh I'm sorry! I just came to apologize if my students," she gestured to the children standing behind her. "Caused any inconveniences for you."

Hilda immediately shook her head and gave the woman a big smile. "Not at all! It's great that kids are getting so interested in Pokémon!"

The woman let out a sigh of relief and gave Hilda a smile. "Thank you. My name is Daniela, I'm a teacher at the Route 3 Kindergarten class."

"I'm Hilda and that's Ash," Hilda pointed to Ash who was talking to his Pokémon. "We're Pokémon trainers competing for the Unova League."

"Is that so? Are you two traveling together?" Daniela asked. Hilda nodded and Daniela tilted her head. "That's very interesting. Two rivals to travel together that is."

Hilda nodded. "But we're also friends and it's not like a Pokémon battle is going to ruin our friendship."

Daniela laughed. "That is very true."

"Cool! It's a Tepig!" Daniela and Hilda looked over to where Ash was and noticed all the kids that were behind Daniela one second ago were now surrounding both Ash and Hilda's Pokémon. Ash was standing with his hands on his hips, telling the kids various facts about each Pokémon.

"They sure love Pokémon," Hilda said.

Daniela nodded before turning to Hilda. "Why don't you and Ash stop by our school? My grandmother also runs a daycare next to the school and there's even a battlefield."

"A daycare?" Hilda asked, tilting her head. "Why do you need a daycare when you have a school?"

Daniela laughed. "Sorry, I meant a Pokémon daycare."

Hilda blinked. "A Pokémon daycare?"

Daniela nodded. "It's where trainers can leave their Pokémon to be taken care of."

"That's cool, I would love to check it out!" Hilda exclaimed before calling Ash over and telling him about Daniela's offer.

Ash's eyes started to shine. "There's a daycare here? I want to check it out!"

Hilda sweat dropped while Daniela laughed. "Then follow me. Come on kids, we're heading back. Mr. Ash and Miss. Hilda are our special guests for the day."

Returning their Pokémon, Ash and Hilda followed Daniela and the kids down a different path that exited the forest into a large clearing. In the large clearing were two buildings, both similar in size. One had a clock on a tower that extended from the roof while the other had the image of a Pokémon egg above the door.

"Daniela!" Walking towards them was an old woman. She was holding an incubator which contained an egg inside.

Daniela seemed surprised and told the kids to go play. She then went over to the woman. "Grandma, what's wrong?"

Daniela's grandmother looked down at the incubator. "Another abandoned egg." Both Daniela and Ash's eyes widened.

"That's the fifth one this week…"

"Daniela, what's wrong?" Hilda watched as Daniela took the incubator from her grandmother's hands. She was looking at the egg with a sad expression.

Daniella turned to Hilda. "Trainers would leave their Pokémon with my grandmother, the daycare owner, and sometimes a Pokémon egg would appear. We would offer them to the trainers but they would always refuse."

Daniela's grandmother turned to Ash and Hilda. "And who are these young trainers?"

"Oh!" Daniela gestured to the trainers. "These two are trainers the children ran into. This is Ash and Hilda."

"It's nice to meet you!" Ash and Hilda said simultaneously.

"It's nice to meet you as well. My name is Karena. Why don't I show you around the daycare?" Karena offered.

"That would be great! I wonder what kind of Pokémon we'll see," Hilda looked at Ash, expecting an excited reaction.

Ash did not disappoint as his eyes lit up once more. Karena lead them to an area behind the daycare. There was an even larger clearing that was fenced off. There were plenty of Pokémon running around.

"Whoa," Hilda said, amazed at the amount of Pokémon running around.

Ash was also amazed. While the clearing wasn't nearly as large as Professor Oak's ranch, it was still large for a Daycare backyard.

"All these Pokémon were entrusted to us by trainers to take care of," Karena explained. "We sometimes let the children play with them if we know it's safe."

Hilda looked at Karena curiously. "Safe?"

Karena nodded. "Some Pokémon do not like attention. They may act hostile to anyone, even their own trainer."

Hilda gasped. "So even my own Pokémon can attack me?"

"It depends. If you are collecting badges, then you should be fine," Karena said.

"Sometimes Pokémon don't listen to you even if you have all eight badges though," Hilda and Karena turned towards Ash who was watching the Pokémon run around. He had as small smile on his face as he said those words. "Sometimes that's just not enough. Sometimes you may have to prove to them that you are dedicated towards them. But as long as you don't give up, they will listen to you."

Karena nodded. "Well said. There's no need to be afraid, as long as you don't give up on them."

Hilda looked at Karena and Ash in astonishment but then smiled and nodded. "I understand."

* * *

"Look at all those Pokémon!" Meowth exclaimed, watching the Pokémon run around from a distance.

"That is a Pokémon daycare, correct?"

James nodded. "That's right. So those Pokémon must be strong."

"If we manage to bring the boss all those strong Pokémon-"

"Hold it you two." James and Meowth turned towards Jessie. "Since that's a Pokémon daycare, no doubt that they must have a large supply of Pokémon eggs."

James tilted his head. "What are Pokémon eggs going to do for us though? We need strong Pokémon!"

"It's simple!" Meowth exclaimed, cutting in. "Imagine one day, the boss is completely stressed from. Then when he enters his room, he finds so many cute baby Pokemon!

"Just looking at their faces make me relax."

Then when they evolve, they will be the most loyal Pokémon he's ever had, more loyal than his overgrown cat! And you know what he'd say?

"I wouldn't have such cute and loyal Pokémon if it weren't for Meowth and his friends! I oughta give them a promotion!"

Jessie clapped her hands. "That's exactly it Meowth!"

James on the other put a finger on his chin. "That seems a bit Farfetch'd."

Jessie smacked James on the head. "The only thing Farfetch'd here is you! Let's get to work on stealing those eggs."

* * *

"So would either of you like to leave your Pokémon here?" Karena asked Ash and Hilda.

Ash immediately shook his head. "I rather train my Pokémon myself."

"Same with me. How can I call myself a Pokémon Trainer if I let someone else raise my Pokémon?" Hilda said. Ash looked slightly surprised at her words but grinned.

Karena nodded, understanding. "Come with me, I would like to show you two something." Ash and Hilda followed Karena back into the Daycare building but this time they entered room to the side. It was a dark room and they couldn't see anything. Karena then flipped a switch and Ash and Hilda gasped at the sight. They saw shelves, full of Pokémon Eggs.

"Are these all eggs that were…?" Hilda didn't finish her sentence, but Karena understood and nodded.

"All of them abandoned by trainers. Trainers do not want to have the responsibility of taking care of newborn Pokémon."

"Tch," Ash let out, looking at the many designs on the eggs. Pikachu even jumped off of his shoulder to look at the eggs himself.

Karena noticed the atmosphere changed as the two trainers observed the room. She smiled, knowing these two trainers cared deeply for Pokémon. "I bet you two are hungry. Would you like to join us for lunch?"

Accepting Karena's offer, Ash and Hilda joined Karena and Daniella for lunch. They all sat outside of the school at one of the picnic tables. The students each sat at the other several picnic tables.

"So you're from the Kanto Region?" Daniella asked, surprised.

Ash nodded. "Yep, me and my buddy Pikachu," Ash gestured to Pikachu who was sitting with the kids.

"So that's why you have a Pikachu. And here I thought you were just really lucky and found it here in Unova," Karena laughed.

"So you came to Unova to compete in the league?" Daniella asked. Ash blinked before nodding, deciding not to tell them that it wasn't his decision. "That's very impressive. And you Hilda, you're just starting out but you seem so much more mature than your typical beginner."

Hilda smiled at the compliment. "Thanks, but I think that's partly thanks to Ash and his immaturity."

"Hey!"

Hilda laughed. "Well that, and he's helped me realize a lot about Pokémon and the world."

"That's better," Ash said, about to take a bite out of his sandwich when all of a sudden it disappeared from his hands resulting in him biting nothing. Ash blinked and looked around before noticing a vine retreating into the bushes, holding his sandwich.

"Hey! Give me back my sandwich!" Ash shouted, jumping up from the table and chasing the retreating vine. Everyone watched in surprise as Ash chased the vine.

Hilda stood up and Pikachu jumped onto her shoulder. "I better follow him before he runs into trouble. Don't worry about us! We'll be back."

"Just be careful," Karena said. Hilda nodded and ran off after Ash.

Ash chased the vine and eventually saw what the vine belonged to. "A Snivy!" His voice surprised the Snivy who was taking a bite out of his sandwich. The Snivy started to run, using its vines to swing from the branches giving it a speed boost. "Hey! Get back here!" Ash climbed up a tree and mimicked Snivy's actions, swinging from branch to branch with only his arms.

"You're not stealing my food and getting away with it!" Ash shouted, surprising the Snivy that Ash was catching up. The Snivy jumped down and took another bite from the sandwich just to taunt Ash. It was successful, as Ash jumped down and started running towards it with a battle cry. The Snivy simply used its Vine Whip on a tree branch and went back to swinging away. This time, Ash decided to chase it by foot.

Eventually they reached a rather tall, steep hill. Ash stopped at the base as he watched Snivy use Vine Whip to latch on branches to climb up. Ash didn't falter and started to climb as well.

When he reached the top, the Snivy was beyond surprised that this human continued to chase it just for a sandwich. That it already ate. The Snivy decided to humour this human and stood a certain distance away from him, and raised its right hand and did a gesture for Ash to battle it.

Ash understood and grinned. "Prepare yourself then!" Ash exclaimed, gripping one of his Pokeballs. "I choose you! Tepig!" Tepig appeared and let out a cry.

Snivy was slightly surprised by the choice, or rather the Pokémon itself, but prepared itself nonetheless. "Tepig, use Ember!" Tepig fired and Ember but the Snivy easily jumped out of the way, surprising Ash and Tepig. "It's fast!"

The Snivy jumped and its tail started to glow green. It hit Tepig directly on the head, dealing damage. "Was that Leaf Blade?" Ash wondered before watching as Snivy jumped back, waiting for Ash's move. Ash pulled out Tepig's Pokeball. "Return!"

Ash returned Tepig for the moment. "Oshawott!" Ash sent out Oshawott who stood proud. Ash extended and arm. "Water Gun!" Oshawott fired a Water Gun but Snivy once again dodged. Oshawott used Water Gun once more. The Snivy once again jumped out of the way, but Oshawott saw that and landed the hit.

Oshawott cheered but Ash noticed that Snivy was barely affected. "Even if that was not very effective, it still should have done some damage." What happened next surprised Ash.

The Snivy jumped into the air, winked and did a spin. Hearts flew towards Oshawott and surrounded him before making contact with Oshawott. Ash's eyes widened as Oshawott was ogling Snivy with a dreamy expression. "Oshawott! Snap out of it!" Ash called out but it was no use. Oshawott was smitten by Snivy.

Snivy let out a small smirk at its work before vines appeared from behind its neck and went straight towards Oshawott, ready to deal a barrage of whips. Ash's eyes widened and he immediately jumped in front of Oshawott and hugged the little otter. The Vine Whip smacked Ash hard on the back. Snivy was shocked and retreated its vines as Ash gritted his teeth at the stinging pain.

He looked down at Oshawott, who was struggling to get out of his grip to go and be with Snivy. "Snap out of it Oshawott!" Oshawott still didn't seem to hear Ash and he pulled out Oshawott's Pokeball, returning Oshawott.

Ash stood up and turned towards Snivy. "That Vine Whip of yours was really strong!" Snivy was still stunned from the display just now and was even more surprised from Ash's comment. Ash pulled out another Pokeball then held it out in front of him. "I'm impressed! I want to catch you now! Tepig!"

Tepig returned and gave a determined glare at Snivy. Snivy was even more surprised at Ash's words but refocused itself for the battle. "Ember!" Tepig fired Ember but Snivy easily dodged. "Tackle!" Tepig then started to run towards Snivy. Snivy tried to dodge but Tepig was too fast and landed a direct hit.

Snivy let out a cry before using Vine Whip and grabbing Tepig. "Tepig use Ember to escape!" Tepig fired an Ember at Snivy but Snivy jumped into the air while still holding Tepig. Snivy once again winked and hearts appeared around Tepig. Ash clenched his fists as the hearts made contact with Tepig. Snivy grew a smirk as it let go of Tepig. "Tepig! Can you hear me!?" Ash shouted. Tepig only continued looking at Snivy with a look similar to Oshawott's.

Snivy ran towards Tepig, tail glowing once again. "Tepig, dodge!" Ash shouted but his command fell upon deaf ears, as Tepig was hit hard by Snivy's Leaf Blade and sent flying to the side. "Tepig! Pull yourself together!"

Snivy once again ran towards Tepig who was standing up. In Tepig's eyes, it looked like Snivy was running to him to give him a big hug. That was not the case as Snivy jumped and delivered another Leaf Blade to Tepig's head directly.

"Tepig! Snap you of it!" Ash called out but Tepig was still infatuated with the Snivy.

Snivy decided to end this and started to spin in place, leaves surrounding it in the form of a Tornado. Snivy then sent the Tornado flying towards Tepig. "Tepig!" Ash shouted as Tepig was hit and sent flying. Ash's eyes widened as Tepig was sent flying off of the cliff.

Ash ran to the edge and he watched Tepig fall down. Ash was ready to jump off and save Tepig when two vines shot towards the falling Tepig and caught him. Ash whipped his head to the side and saw Snivy at the edge, doing its best to pull up Tepig.

When Tepig was pulled up, he was no longer infatuated but only because he was unconscious. Ash immediately crouched down and hugged Tepig. "I'm so glad you're all right!" Ash turned back towards Snivy. "Thanks so much Snivy!"

Snivy turned its head away from Ash and walked back to its original spot, staring at Ash. Ash was surprised. "You still want to battle?" Snivy nodded and Ash grinned and stood up, returning Tepig.

"ASH!" Ash turned around at the sudden shout. He went over to the edge of the cliff and saw Hilda and Pikachu at the base. "Thank goodness you're all right! Um, what are you doing up there?"

Ash gave Hilda a sheepish smile and rubbed the back of his head. "I'll explain later. Hey buddy! Want to come up and help me?" Pikachu nodded and quickly climbed up the cliff, jumping from branch to branch until he landed in front of Ash.

"Wait, what about me!?" Ash blinked before shrugging.

"I don't know, just wait I guess." Hilda raised a brow before glaring at Ash.

"You want me to wait down here while you're having an epic battle or something!?" Hilda exclaimed.

Ash sweat dropped as he turned back to Snivy. "Sorry Hilda, but my opponent is getting impatient!"

Hilda stomped her foot. "I think _you're_ the one who's impatient! Ugh, fine! I'll just find a way to get up there." Hilda ran off around the cliff to try and find a path up there.

Ash looked at Pikachu. "Think she's mad at me?" Pikachu shrugged and Ash smiled slightly. "Yeah, that can wait. Right now we have a tough opponent in front of us. Let's go Pikachu!"

Pikachu nodded and started running towards Snivy. Snivy immediately used Vine Whip to try and grab hold of Pikachu. "Dodge it with Quick Attack!" Pikachu used the burst of speed from Quick Attack and avoided the vines with ease before landing a direct hit against Snivy.

Snivy staggered back before releasing a Leaf Tornado. "Charge through with Volt Tackle!" Pikachu started running towards Snivy covered in electricity. Pikachu charged into the Leaf Tornado and through determination was able to charge through and was going to deliver a direct hit against Snivy. But Snivy was no longer where it was. Pikachu stopped the Volt Tackle and looked around.

"Pikachu above you!" Pikachu looked up and saw Snivy in the air, once again using Attract. "Pikachu, get out of there!" Pikachu started running away but the hearts were already on his tail and eventually touched Pikachu, making him stop in place.

"Pikachu! Don't fall for its tricks!" Ash shouted. Ash notice Pikachu fighting against the Attract. "Come on Pikachu and use Thunderbolt!"

Sparks started to fly from Pikachu's cheeks. Snivy noticed this and decided to act quickly and release a Leaf Tornado. Pikachu tried his hardest and put all of his might into resisting the infatuation and tried to release a Thunderbolt. But it was too late and Pikachu was hit by the Leaf Tornado, getting knocked out.

Ash ran over to Pikachu and picked him up. "Thanks buddy." Ash looked over at the Snivy who was panting. Ash could only grin, not because of Snivy's condition but because of Snivy's willpower and determination.

"Ash!" Ash looked to the side and saw Hilda run towards him. "I found a path that lead up here." Hilda looked at Pikachu who was unconscious then at the Snivy.

"A wild Snivy!?" Hilda gasped before looking back at Pikachu. "I'll hold Pikachu for you."

Ash handed Hilda Pikachu. "Thanks. Also, this isn't a wild Snivy." Hilda and Snivy were both surprised by Ash's words. "This Snivy must have been released by its original trainer. Maybe because of Team Plasma."

Snivy didn't say anything but only waited for Ash. Ash grinned and released his final Pokémon. "But I'm going to catch this Snivy!" Pidove appeared in the sky with a loud cry.

Snivy immediately used Vine Whip, attempting to grab Pidove and bring it down to the ground. "Fly higher Pidove!" Pidove did just that and soon the vines reached their maximum length, unable to reach Pidove. "Now, Air Cutter!"

Pidove used Air Cutter but the Snivy avoided it and used Leaf Tornado. "Gust!" Pidove began flapping its wings in order to counter the Leaf Tornado but the Leaf Tornado overpowered the gusts of wind and hit Pidove, making it fall down to the ground.

"Pidove!" Pidove quickly regained its balance and avoided crashing. "Let's go! Quick Attack!" Pidove immediately charged towards Snivy, who used Vine Whip to counter the fast attack. Pidove easily maneuvered between the vines and hit Snivy directly.

Snivy stood up once again and winked, using Attract. Hilda, who hadn't seen the previous fights, was wondering what that attack was. Her Pokedex beeped.

 _If it is the opposite gender of the user, the target becomes infatuated and less likely to attack._

"Infatuated?" She asked aloud, looking at Pikachu. She wondered if this was how Pikachu ended up being beaten. She'd have to ask Ash after.

In the heat of the moment, Ash forgot what gender his Pidove was. "Pidove, get out of there!" Pidove did her best avoiding the hearts, but was eventually hit. It had no effect however. "Eh…? Oh! Pidove's a girl! That's right!"

Hilda sweat dropped. "Forgetting his own Pokémon's gender. I sure hope he doesn't forget that _I'm_ a girl."

"All right Pidove! Use Air Cutter!" Pidove did just that, and was able to hit Snivy directly. Snivy wasn't ready to give up just yet and used Leaf Tornado. "Go above it and use Quick Attack!" Pidove flew above the Leaf Tornado, avoiding it completely and dived towards Snivy, hitting Snivy and sending it flying. It was now on the ground, trying to stand but failing.

Ash pulled out an empty Pokeball and tossed it at Snivy. The ball shook three times before the familiar click was heard. Ash grinned as he picked up Snivy's Pokeball. He then held out his arm and Pidove landed on it. "Thanks a lot Pidove! I couldn't have done this without you!" Pidove let out a cheer before Ash returned her to her Pokeball.

Ash clipped both Pidove and Snivy's Pokeballs to his belt before walking over to Hilda. Pikachu was awake, though injured, and jumped back on Ash's shoulder.

"So, want to tell me about what happened on our way back?" Hilda asked, gesturing to the path she took. Ash nodded and did just that as they headed back to the daycare. "Wow, that Snivy is really something."

Ash nodded, holding Snivy's Pokeball. "I think during that battle I understood it some more. It must have been abandoned and stopped trusting humans."

Hilda looked at Snivy's Pokeball sadly. "That's really sad. Do you think it was because of Team Plasma?"

Ash shook his head. "At first I thought that. But then, wouldn't Snivy be more, I don't know, sentimental? Snivy just continued its life like normal. So I think it was just genuinely released."

"Makes me wonder why. Snivy is really powerful."

The two soon returned to the daycare where they saw a giant truck parked in front of it. "Where did that truck come from?" Ash asked.

"Let's go ask Karena and Daniela," Hilda suggested and the two headed over to the schoolyard where they saw both of them. "Karena! Daniela! What's with the truck?"

Both stopped talking to one another and walked over to Ash and Hilda. Karena spoke. "Those people are Pokémon egg inspectors. They say they are here to inspect the Pokémon eggs."

Ash tilted his head. "I've never heard of a Pokémon egg inspector."

Karena shook her head. "Neither have I. Things are changing in this day and age I suppose."

Hilda frowned and looked back at the daycare. "Should we go check up on them?"

"They said we aren't allowed to watch as they inspect the eggs," Daniela said.

"All the more reason to check up on them!" Hilda exclaimed, running off to the daycare. Ash blinked before running after her. They entered the daycare and headed to the room where the eggs were store. Hilda gasped before running back, colliding into Ash.

"Ow," Ash rubbed his head as he stood up. "What happened Hilda?"

"The eggs!" Hilda exclaimed, jumping up. "They're gone!"

Ash's eyes widened. "What!?" They heard the sound of an engine roar and they turned around to see the truck begin to move. "Hey! Wait!"

The truck then started to drive off. Ash and Hilda immediately began chase. "Pidove!" Pidove appeared and Ash told it to follow the truck.

Ash and Hilda continued running but eventually the truck was out of their sight and the two stopped, panting. "Come on Ash, there's no way that truck would drive through the forest, so it must continue on the path."

"Right," Ash said and the two resumed running, following the tire tracks on the ground. Eventually, they found the truck just sitting on the path. Ash immediately busted into the back but found that it was completely empty.

"They must have exited the truck and have another escape route," Hilda deduced.

Pidove soon returned and pointed in a direction in the forest. "They went that way?" Pidove nodded. "Great. Thanks Pidove." With that, Ash and Hilda ran into the forest.

* * *

"Talk about a treasure haul!" Jessie exclaimed, holding one of the egg containers. "What Pokémon do you think is inside this one?"

"How da heck am I supposed to know? Now why don't you help us out here by putting these eggs in this box!?" Exclaimed Meowth. Meowth and James were placing each egg inside a huge box to carry by their balloon. The three were currently hiding in a small are in the forest.

"Phew, this is hard work. But the reward will be worth it, right?" James asked, carefully placing an egg inside a box.

"You bet! I can only imagine the boss's face when he sees all these rare Pokémon!" Meowth exclaimed.

Just then all three felt their hair stand on end. The familiar feeling of electricity was in the air. They slowly turned around and saw an unfamiliar face. A green haired boy was standing next to a black zebra-like Pokémon with white stripes. The boy had a somewhat neutral expression while the Pokémon was glaring at them, letting an electric charge fill the air.

"May I ask where you received these eggs?" N asked calmly.

The three snapped out of their stupor before glaring at N. "We don't need to answer your questions! Now scram before you get hurt, boy!"

"I see, so you stole them." N closed his eyes. "Stealing Pokémon, not to release but to use for your own gain…how despicable."

"Oh yeah? We'll show you despicable! Seviper!" Jessie released Seviper and James followed with Carnivine.

"Hmph. Blitzle, Shock Wave," Blitzle's mane shined and released Shock Wave, knocking out both Seviper and Carnivine instantly. "Now, Charge then Shock Wave." Blitzle charged quickly before releasing an even more powerful Shock Wave, sending Team Rocket flying.

"We never even got to say our motto!" Meowth exclaimed.

"Who was that brat anyways!?" Jessie angrily exclaimed.

"Wait, what about our balloon!?" James exclaimed.

"TEAM ROCKET IS BLASTING OFF AGAIN!"

"…" N looked at the box of Pokémon eggs. Only one stood out to him, as it seemed to be calling out to him. He took out a light blue and white egg out of the container and fled.

Ash and Hilda arrived and all they saw was a familiar Meowth hot air balloon, a box filled with the eggs and one empty container.

* * *

 **Man, gotta love those filler episodes :P  
Would it count as filler though since he caught Snivy?  
Actually, I don't think I'm going to have fillers that have no relation to the story. Hope you guys don't mind :P**

 **A whole month since the last update. I've got a reason. It's not a good reason, but still a reason nonetheless. You see…I literally spent the past month working on the training part at the very beginning of the chapter. Yeah, it took me that long to write that part. But once I finished that part, the rest just went by so much faster. I wrote everything from the daycare to the end, TODAY (August 19). So…yeah. Training is really boring for me to write and that was why I took so long for this update. Hope that doesn't happen again. Believe me, I felt so bad. Every time my phone would go off, saying I got a new follower or favourite for this story and I haven't even updated in a month.**

 **Speaking of which, over 100 followers for this story. That's pretty crazy. I hope I don't disappoint you all!**

 **Other news, story cover changed. The Ash in the story cover was drawn by PokemonMasterAsh on DeviantART. I really liked the design, it's definitely how I see Ash's Unova clothes. It helps me a lot, because looking at Unova anime Ash, it's hard for me to remember that I'm writing about Sinnoh Ash but this pic depicts Sinnoh Ash in Unova perfectly…I hope that made sense :P**

 **Not sure if there's anything else to say. I think I've decided to go with the Victini event from the game but if anyone has an idea for something I could do, go ahead and suggest it.  
**

 **Let me know what you guys think and thanks for reading! Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go play some Pokemon Black to refresh my memory xP**


	10. Cold Ideals

**ShadeZyro:** **Yeah, training is really boring but it must be done.  
Yeah, I was aware that Sunglasses Sandile appeared earlier, but I just couldn't really find a point to add it in and like you said, it would have been a nuisance to add it in a previous chapter. That, and I don't think people would appreciate reading a previous chapter again just for a minor appearance.  
Team Plasma are pretty hypocritical people. Even N can be hypocritical at times.  
Well you are right about that!**

 **ASD Pokemon Fan:** **It was as boring as it was for me to write as it was for you to read. Especially the beginning. Well I hope this chapter is better. I hope you do well!**

 **Wanli8970:** **I have decided not to do that, but in the future I will definitely do that.**

 **Martyn:** **1\. Pretty much. I have always wanted to do a Unova rewrite, but I wasn't sure about how it would work. I was planning on bringing Brock back, but wanted everything up to Unova to remain canon. And after reading a certain fic mentioned in Chapter 1, I really grew attached to Othelloshipping/AshxHilda so I just created this fic for that. But I do hope to make it enjoyable for those who want a Unova rewrite as well.  
2\. That…sounds terrifying. But very interested. Not sure if people would like that though, since Sunglasses Sandile is a fan favourite Pokémon but that would be very interesting. I'll consider it, for sure. **

* * *

Ash and Hilda were upset. While they managed to find the stolen eggs, one was still stolen nonetheless. They had thought it simply fell out of the container but they couldn't find it anywhere. Ash and Hilda then returned to the daycare after finding the scene. They explained everything to Karena and Daniela and they were able to use the truck to return the eggs. They also described to them what Team Rocket looks like and Daniela said she would contact Officer Jenny. Daniela also healed their Pokémon, both grateful for that.

"Cheer up you two. You two did your best and we are grateful," Karena said, trying to cheer up the two trainers.

Ash let out a sigh. "But one Pokémon was still stolen…"

"I understand your concern, but remember that it was still in an egg. For all we know, someone could have walked by and took one for themselves. So they must be willing to take responsibility for the newborn," Karena explained.

"But what if they want to sell the egg?" Ash blurted out.

Karena smiled at Ash's concern. "There's no need to worry Ash. We don't have any rare Pokémon eggs. It wouldn't be sold for much, and besides. The Pokémon egg that was stolen was close to hatching."

"But still, aren't you worried?" Hilda asked.

Karena nodded. "Of course I am. But I also accept that there's nothing we can do about it. We just need to hope that the trainer that took it will take good care of it."

Ash and Hilda nodded, cheering up slightly and continued to place the eggs back on the shelves. After doing just that, they accepted Karena's offer for staying the night. They then got ready to leave and head to the Wellspring Cave the next day.

"So you two are leaving?" Daniela asked, standing next to Karena in front of the daycare.

Hilda nodded. "Thank you for everything."

Karena shook her head. "We should be thanking you two. If it weren't for you two, who knows what would have happened to the Pokémon eggs."

Hilda shook her head. "We didn't even do anything."

"Daniela." Karena looked towards Daniela who nodded and went inside the daycare. "We wouldn't have been able to find the eggs ourselves, so we would like you two to have…" Daniela returned, holding two Pokémon egg containers.

Both Ash and Hilda's eyes widened. "Are you serious!? You're giving us Pokémon eggs!?" Hilda exclaimed, extremely shocked.

Karena nodded. "And I'm not going to accept no for an answer. These Pokémon would be much happier in your hands."

Ash and Hilda grabbed an egg each for themselves, completely speechless. "Are you sure?" Ash asked.

Karena laughed. "Of course I'm sure!"

"When my grandmother makes a decision, you can't change her mind," Daniela said. "Take care of them." Ash and Hilda nodded and thanked them again, ready to leave once more.

"You two take care, y'hear," Karena said.

"We will. Thank you once again!" Hilda said.

"Thank you very much!" Ash said.

And with that, the two trainers left the daycare, now heading to Wellspring Cave.

"So, what kind of Pokémon do you think are in these eggs?" Ash asked, looking down at his egg curiously. His egg was tan with some brown spots.

"I don't know. But I know they will be cute!" Hilda hugged her container as she said that. Her egg was a dark blue and white egg.

Ash and Pikachu laughed and they continued their way down the path. It was a few minutes until they saw a familiar figure standing in the middle of a clearing.

Hilda immediately recognized the person and ran up to them. "Cheren!" She immediately handed Ash her egg and gave Cheren a hug which he awkwardly returned, making Hilda laugh. "You haven't changed at all. I haven't seen you since Nuvema Town."

"On the contrary, I have become much stronger," Cheren said, adjusting his glasses. "It's good to see you Hilda. And you too Ash."

Ash gave Cheren a grin. "You too Cheren. So you've become stronger?"

Cheren gave Ash a nod but before Ash could speak, Cheren spoke. "I would like to have a battle with you, Hilda."

Hilda pointed to herself in surprise. "Eh? Me?"

Cheren nodded. "I said back in Nuvema Town that the next time we meet, we'll battle. I hope you didn't forget."

"Of course I didn't forget!" Hilda exclaimed before grinning. "I gladly accept your challenge!"

Ash sighed but then grinned. "I can't wait to see this! Two childhood friends going all out!"

Ash and Pikachu stood to the side as Cheren and Hilda went to opposite sides of the clearing. "This will be a two-on-two battle with substitutions, if you don't mind."

Hilda nodded. "I don't mind. I choose you, Gothita!" The small Psychic Type appeared on the field, adjusting her bowtie.

Cheren pulled out his Pokedex for an analysis before putting it away. "A Psychic Type. Purrloin, I choose you."

Hilda furrowed her brow, remembering what Ash told her about type advantages. "Dark Type Pokémon are unaffected by Psychic Type moves. And Dark Type moves are super effective against Psychic Type Pokémon."

Cheren pushed up his glasses and called out an attack. "Use Scratch."

Purrloin raced towards Gothita and with glowing claws, scratched Gothita, making her stagger back. "Gothita! Let's get back at them with Pound!"

Gothita started to run towards Purrloin with a glowing hand. "Dodge." On command, Purrloin jumped out of the way and landed behind Gothita.

"Behind you!" Gothita did a spin and delivered the Pound, hitting Purrloin's face.

"Assist!" Purrloin stood on its hind legs and pointed its paw at Gothita. A vine appeared and grabbed Gothita. "Slam it into the ground."

Purrloin raised its paw, raising the vine into the air. Hilda quickly acted. "Gothita, use Confusion!" Gothita's eyes glowed and the vine around it loosened and Gothita started to fall. "Now, Psybeam to catch yourself!" Gothita pointed her hand towards the ground and used Psybeam, which was able to slow down her fall.

"Impressive," Cheren complimented. "Scratch." Purrloin once again ran up to Gothita, claw glowing.

"Counter with Pound!" Gothita's own hand glowed and the two Pokémon kept hitting each other back and forth with Scratch and Pound.

Gothita raised her hand, ready to finish this. But Cheren was prepared. "Pursuit." Purrloin delivered a quick jab at Gothita, sending her flying.

"Gothita!" Hilda exclaimed as Gothita struggled to stand.

"Scratch one final time," Cheren called out. Purrloin ran towards the weakened Gothita and jumped, ready to Scratch Gothita for the final time.

Hilda waited until Purrloin was almost directly in front of Gothita. Hilda then punched the air in front of her. "Pound Punch!"

Gothita immediately did just that, and punched Purrloin in the face before Purrloin could scratch Gothita. Hilda watched as Purrloin laid on the ground. Much to her dismay, Purrloin stood back up, albeit struggling.

"Pursuit." Purrloin ran up to Gothita again and was ready to deliver a quick jab again.

Hilda once again did the same thing as before. "Pound Punch!" Gothita did just that but Cheren saw it coming.

"Not happening," Cheren said. As he said that, Purrloin jumped and avoided the Pound and finished Gothita off with Pursuit.

Hilda returned Gothita. "Thanks. You did great." Hilda noticed Cheren returning Purrloin. She knew she was at a disadvantage, but she had confident in her Pokémon's ability. "Pansear, you're up!"

Cheren seemed surprised. "I didn't know you had a Pansear. You really are full of surprises." Cheren tossed a Pokeball and out came a Pidove.

Hilda grew a determined expression. "And I'm going to show you even more surprises! Incinerate!"

Pansear immediately fired an Incinerate at Pidove. Pidove easily flew into the sky, avoiding the attack. "Air Cutter."

"Remember our training!" Hilda exclaimed. Pansear dodged the attack by doing cartwheels.

"Wow!" Ash exclaimed. "That reminds me of Chili's Pansear."

"Keep up your momentum and use Acrobatics!" Pansear continued doing flips and eventually jumped into the air to hit Pidove.

"So Pansear learned Acrobatics," Ash said to himself.

"Use Gust to blow it back." Before Pansear could hit Pidove, Pidove flapped its wing and sent Pansear crashing into the ground.

"Pansear! Can you still fight?" Hilda asked. Pansear stood up once more with its usual neutral expression. "All right, use Incinerate!"

Once again, Pansear fired an Incinerate at Pidove, who dodged once more. Cheren pushed up his glasses. "I have done my training. It was thanks to Pidove that I won my Trio Badge. Air Cutter once more."

"Counter with Incinerate!" Pansear countered the gust of winds with the fire. The attacks ended up being equal and cancelling each other out.

"Down and direct with Quick Attack." Pidove glowed before flying towards Pansear at a fast speed and hit Pansear directly.

Hilda clenched her fists as Pansear stood back up. "I don't want to lose…I don't want to seem weak to Cheren…" Pansear looked back at Hilda and noticed how determined she was. Pansear looked back at Cheren, who was simply staring at them calmly.

"Once I win…" Cheren pushed his glasses up. "Pidove should have gained enough battle experience to evolve. Air Cutter!"

Pidove used Air Cutter once more. Pansear quickly and easily dodged the attacks like before. "Incinerate!" As soon as Pidove stopped using Air Cutter, Pansear fired Incinerate and was able to hit Pidove, making an explosion.

"Incinerate is a weak Fire Type move," Cheren said. "So Pidove should be just fine." As soon as Cheren said that, the dust clouds cleared and Pidove was still flying, just scratched but not severely injured.

"Wow," Ash whispered, amazed at Pidove's endurance. He then turned his head to Pikachu. "Doesn't it remind you of Swellow?" Pikachu nodded and they returned their attention to the battle.

"Pansear, use another Incinerate!" Hilda gritted her teeth. Incinerate was the only Fire Type move Pansear had.

"Dodge and counter." Pidove once again easily dodged the blast of fire and used Air Cutter once more.

"Not yet. Not losing just yet! Counter directly with Incinerate!" Hilda shouted.

Pansear unleashed yet another Incinerate. Cheren furrowed his brow as the attacks nearly countered each other. "Stronger."

"Stronger?" Hilda asked, confused. This time, the Air Cutter was stronger and able to cut through the Incinerate and hit Pansear directly, sending him flying. "Pansear!"

"Is it still standing?" Cheren asked, slightly surprised as Pansear stood up once again. "You have done well in training Pansear in endurance."

Hilda looked surprised at those words. "No…I barely did anything." She whispered. "But now's the perfect time to get stronger. Right Pansear?" Pansear only gave Hilda a neutral expression.

"Hmph. Let's finish this. One, final Air Cutter."

Hilda clenched her fist before punching the air in front of her. "Come on Pansear! Stronger! A stronger Incinerate!"

Pansear blinked, before turning back to the flying Pidove and the incoming Air Cutter. For a reason unknown to Pansear, Pansear felt like he had to do something more. Pansear opened his mouth, but instead of spewing fire, he released a fireball that went straight through the Air Cutter. The moment it made contact with Pidove, the fireball burst and Pidove crashed to the ground.

"Whoa!" Ash exclaimed, shocked along with everyone else. "What move was that!?"

Hilda grew a huge grin on her face. "That was amazing Pansear!" Pansear merely looked at Hilda with its usual expression.

Cheren returned Pidove. "Good work. So your Pansear learned Flame Burst. I think we should call this a draw."

"Huh? Why?" Hilda asked, surprised.

"Probably because both Pansear and Cheren's Purrloin are really exhausted, right?" Ash said, walking up to Hilda.

"Correct," Cheren walked towards them both.

"Oh, sure." Hilda crouched down and pet Pansear's head. She then pulled out Pansear's Pokeball. "You were great! Take a break." She then look back her egg from Ash.

"I look forward to our next battle Hilda. I'm not going to hold back," Cheren gave Hilda a small smile.

Hilda gave Cheren a huge smile in return. "Neither am I. The next time we battle, I'll be a completely different trainer!"

Ash watched the two childhood friends' talk and it made him reminisce on his past rivalries. "Don't forget Cheren! We'll have to battle one day as well."

Cheren turned to Ash and nodded. "Of course. I would like to have a rematch with you at some point."

"So, where are you headed Cheren?" Hilda asked.

Cheren pushed his glasses up. "I was going to go check out the Wellspring Cave to see what other Pokémon I can catch for the Pokedex."

Ash and Hilda were definitely surprised by this. "You're catching Pokémon…for the Pokedex?" Ash asked.

Cheren nodded. "The Professor is able to obtain more information when she is able to observe a Pokémon closely. It's my way of thanking her for allowing me to become a trainer."

Ash was very impressed by Cheren. Hilda just laughed. "That's so you, Cheren."

"You think so? Well, what about you two?"

"We're also heading to Wellspring Cave to see what kinds of Pokémon live there," Ash explained with his usual enthusiastic tone.

"Let's go there together then!" Hilda exclaimed. The two males nodded and they continued on the path, heading to Wellspring Cave. On their way, they had various conversations.

"So you two have known each other for ten years?"

Cheren and Hilda nodded. "I don't really remember how met exactly though, but along with Bianca we have been really close," Hilda explained.

Cheren adjusted his glasses, making Ash wonder if he needed new glasses. "I think it had something to do with Bianca getting in trouble for something back in preschool."

Hilda put a finger on her chin. "Was that it? It didn't have anything to do with Bianca breaking your glasses?"

"I didn't have glasses back then."

"Wait, you didn't?"

"No."

"So Bianca got in trouble for something in preschool…how does that tie us two in?"

Cheren shrugged. "I just remember her getting in trouble. I don't remember how we got involved."

Hilda sweat dropped before turning to Ash. "What about you Ash? Any childhood memories you want to share?"

Ash scratched his cheek as he tried to recall memories. "Until I turned ten, I don't think my life was that interesting. I remember enrolling in a Summer Camp once...but that's about it."

Hilda and Cheren seemed surprised by that. "Really? A lot of crazy stuff has happened around you."

Ash laughed. "Well, that was before I started my journey. Things became hectic the moment I stepped into Professor Oak's lab on the day I got Pikachu."

Cheren put a hand on his chin. "I recall you saying you overslept the day you were supposed to receive your first Pokémon and received Pikachu. You also said you have been with Pikachu for four years."

Ash sweat dropped while Hilda laughed awkwardly. "You see, Cheren is able to remember things that stick out to him forever. I guess you gave him one heck of a first impression, Ash."

Cheren gave Hilda a glare while Ash and Hilda laughed. They soon reached a fork in the road. One path split to the left and the other continued forward. The three continued forward.

There were two figures in the distance on the path. "Hey, there's someone there," Ash said.

"Wait a second, I recognize that green beret from anywhere!" Hilda exclaimed, running forward. "Bianca!" Ash and Cheren looked at each other before they followed Hilda.

Bianca turned towards them and was wearing a shocked expression. "Hilda! Cheren! Ash!"

Hilda ran up to her before noticing the second person. The second person was a small girl. The girl looked like she was crying. "Who's this?"

"This is Wendy. She's from Nacrene City," Bianca introduced the girl with a smile that looked off to Hilda.

"So what is she doing here? And what's wrong?" Cheren asked, also noticing something was off with Bianca.

Bianca took a deep breath. "It's horrible you guys! Some people in white clothes came by and stole this girls' Pokémon!"

Ash, Hilda, and Cheren's eyes widened. "Was it Team Rocket!?" Ask asked immediately.

Bianca shook her head. "I would have known for sure if it was them. But these guys had weird clothes. Like they were from the pioneer era!"

Cheren adjusted his glasses. "I have my suspicions…but that can wait. Where did they go Bianca?"

Bianca looked at Wendy. "She said they ran off in that direction. I haven't checked because I couldn't just leave her here with no Pokémon."

"You've made a wise decision…for once," Cheren said resulting in Bianca sticking her tongue at him. Cheren ignored her. "The Wellspring Cave. We were heading there anyways."

Ash nodded. "Let's get going. Bianca, take care of our eggs!" Ash handed Bianca his egg and ran down the path. Hilda did the same and ran off along with Cheren. Bianca only blinked before looking at the two eggs.

"Um, okay. Just be careful you guys!"

* * *

The three trainers were now hiding in the bushes in front of Wellspring Cave. "Those two…they are part of Team Plasma!" Ash said quietly. Two Team Plasma Grunts were standing in front of the entrance. The two grunts were both male.

"I had a feeling. But I thought they were trying to liberate Pokémon? Why would they steal a Pokémon then?" Cheren asked.

"I don't know, but I know they aren't exactly good guys," Ash clenched his fist.

"No matter. Let's think about this tactically. We should use our numbers as an advantage. We have three trainers on our side, but they have two standing guard," Cheren said, rubbing his chin.

"But there may be more inside the cave. They have to want something from that cave," Hilda stated.

Cheren nodded. "So let's have one of us stand by and hide while two of us goes and take them on."

"I want to battle them!" Ash had a very determined expression.

"I'll assist you then, Ash. The experience will definitely help," Cheren said then turned to Hilda. "You're going to wait here and enter on our signal, okay? And Ash, we need to approach them carefully."

Hilda nodded. "Understood. Good luck you two."

Ash grinned. "We won't need luck!" Ash jumped out of the bushes.

Cheren's eyes widened. "Wait Ash!" Cheren followed Ash of of the bushes.

Hilda sweat dropped. "Very careful, Ash."

The two grunts immediately gripped their Pokeballs as they saw Ash and Cheren run towards them. "Hey kids, get lost," the left grunt shouted.

"Wait, we may be able to liberate their Pokémon," the right grunt said, eying their Pokeballs.

The left grunt grinned and tossed a Pokeball. Out of it appeared a black zebra-like Pokémon with white stripes. "Shock Wave, Blitzle!" The Blitzle released an electric beam out of the mane on its head.

Ash's eyes widened. "Thunderbolt!" Pikachu jumped off from Ash's shoulder and countered the Shock Wave with Thunderbolt, cancelling the attack. "What was that about!?"

"Patrat, Dig!" The right grunt released Patrat who immediately dug into the ground.

Cheren sent out his own Pokémon. "Snivy, Vine Whip on Pikachu." Ash looked at Cheren in surprise. Pikachu was also surprised the moment Snivy's vines picked up Pikachu and raised him above the ground.

This resulted in Patrat's Dig to miss. Ash grinned. "Thunderbolt!" Snivy released Pikachu who fired a Thunderbolt and hit Patrat directly. "Thanks Cheren!"

Cheren nodded. "Snivy, use Leaf Torando." Snivy used Leaf Tornado and hit Patrat, knocking it out.

"Tch," the right grunt returned his Patrat.

"Blitzle, Flame Charge!" The Blitzle started charging towards Snivy with fire surrounding it.

"Pikachu, let's return the favour! Volt Tackle!" Pikachu charged towards Blitzle with electricity surrounding it. The two Pokemon collided and were struggling for dominance. Ash turned to Cheren. "Cheren!"

"Leaf Tornado." Snivy fired the tornado and it was heading straight for both Pokemon.

"Jump now!" Ash shouted. Pikachu jumped out of the fight and avoided the tornado. The tornado hit Blitzle directly. "Iron Tail!" Pikachu's tail turned metal and Pikachu did a spin before hitting Blitzle on the head with his tail. Blitzle fell onto the ground, unconscious.

"Return. We have to report!" The left grunt said, both grunts running into the cave.

Hilda was watching from the bushes and was amazed. "Their coordination was amazing."

Cheren returned Snivy. "We can't get held up. No doubt they have reinforcements coming."

Ash nodded and Pikachu jumped back onto his shoulder. "Let's get moving!" Ash ran into the cave and Cheren followed. The cave was damp and quiet.

The moment they entered the cave, they saw another pair of grunts running up to them. "They're the ones who defeated you!?" The new left grunt asked.

The original left grunt gulped and nodded. The new right grunt sighed and tossed a Pokeball. "Can't trust you to get anything done." Out from the Pokeball appeared a round, small bipedal Pokémon with a blackface, a blue carapace, and a yellow stomach. Ash pulled out his Pokedex.

 _Karrablast. The Clamping Pokémon. Karrablast is a Bug Type Pokémon. For some reason they evolve when they receive electrical energy while they are attacking Shelmet._

Ash frowned. "That doesn't help at all."

"Let me see," Cheren pulled out his Pokedex and tapped a different button.

 _When they feel threatened, they spit an acidic liquid to drive attackers away. This Pokémon targets Shelmet._

"Why did yours have different information?" Ash asked, surprised.

"There are different type of Pokémon entries. You just tap this button," Cheren pointed to a button at the bottom right of the Pokedex.

"I see…"

"Those Pokedex's, if we can get them Lord Zinzolin would be most pleased," the new right grunt said. The new left grunt nodded and sent out his own Pokémon, which was a Pidove.

"A Bug Type and a Flying Type. Purrloin," Cheren sent out. Purrloin appeared but was still exhausted. "Ash, cover me while I heal Purrloin," Cheren said, pulling out a Potion from his bag.

Ash nodded and sent out his own Pidove. "Air Cutter!" Pidove fired wind slashes and hit both of the Pokémon.

"Don't let glasses over there heal!" The new left grunt said to the new right grunt.

The new right grunt nodded. "Headbutt Karrablast!" The Karrablast began charging at Cheren's Purrloin.

"Oh no you don't!" Ash shouted. "Pidove, Quick Attack!"

"Stay out of the way!" The new left grunt said. His Pidove charged at Ash's Pidove.

"No, _you_ stay out of _my_ way!" Ash exclaimed. Ash's Pidove avoided the sudden attack and glowed. Ash's Pidove then charged at the opponent Pidove at a fast speed and hit it directly. Ash grinned as the opponent Pidove fell to the ground, knocked out. "That's what I'm talking about!"

The Karrablast however was able to hit Purrloin directly, but Purrloin was still able to stand. Ash looked at Cheren. "Sorry Cheren."

Cheren shook his head. "It's fine. I was prepared in case this happened. Payback." Purrloin glowed before charging at the Karrablast and delivering a slash that send Karrablast into the cave walls, knocking it out.

"Your Purrloin had Payback?" Ash asked, surprised.

Cheren nodded. "It is only effective if it works after the opponent attacks. So it was pointless for me to use it against Hilda."

"It still would have done damage and give you an edge though," Ash said. Cheren only shrugged at that.

The two new grunts returned their Pokémon. "Call in more reinforcements from below! Zinzolin must not be disturbed!"

"Where is the Pokémon you stole from the girl!?" Ash asked, angrily.

"What girl? Oh, you must mean that little girl. Our leader has it," one of the grunts said.

"Give it back!" Ash exclaimed.

"No, don't you think it's sad that a Pokémon must be held in contempt by someone as young as her?" The grunt asked.

"What? That makes no sense. She misses her Pokémon. She cares deeply for it, so what makes you think the Pokémon doesn't feel the same way?" Cheren asked.

The grunt sighed. "Another naïve trainer. How sad." The new right grunt turned to the original left grunt. "What are you waiting for!? Go get reinforcements!"

"The only ones left are the guards of Lord Zinzolin though," the original left grunt said.

"Just get them! Lord Zinzolin can take care of himself! He isn't one of the seven sages for no reason!" The original left grunt nodded and ran away.

"Ash, we need to hinder their sight!" Cheren exclaimed.

Ash nodded. "Pidove, Gust!" Pidove flapped her wings resulting in sand to rise, preventing any of the grunts from seeing. "Let's go-" Ash was about to run past the grunts but Cheren put a hand on his shoulder.

"Ash, we should stay here. Their remaining reinforcements are coming, meaning their leader will be completely defenseless. Using this distraction, we can send Hilda to fight them."

"Wow, you have everything planned," Ash was amazed by Cheren's thinking. "But shouldn't I be the one to fight the leader? I have more Pokémon that can fight."

Cheren shook his head. "Think again Ash. Pidove and Pikachu have been fighting for a while. Not to mention Hilda has probably healed both her Pokémon by now. Hilda is the better option. Not to mention these two are the guards of their leader. No doubt they will be stronger. We better hurry and call her in here." Cheren tapped his X-Transceiver.

Hilda was sitting up against a tree, bored out of her mind. She was just looking at the Town Map, seeing if anything was interesting in the next town. "Fossil Revitalization? What's that?" Just then, her X-Transceiver started to beep.

"Ah!" Hilda put away her map and tapped her X-Transceiver. "Hilda here!"

"I know that," Cheren said. Hilda glared but Cheren ignored her glare. "Hurry up. We have created a distraction. Prepare yourself for a big battle."

"What? Um, okay!" Hilda jumped over the bush and rushed into the cave, determined. When she entered, she saw a low of smoke and Ash and Cheren. "Ash! Cheren!"

"Shh!" Cheren said. "They don't know that you're here. Run through the smoke and try to find their leader." Hilda nodded and ran past the smoke. As soon as she did, two other people came through the smoke. The two were dressed similar to the grunts, with barely any difference in clothing. One was male and the other was female.

"These children are who you were struggling with?" The male one said.

"Err…"

"How pathetic," the female one said.

Hilda was now hiding behind a rock. "It's up to me." Hilda quietly stepped away. She released her Lillipup to help her find her way through the cave. Soon Hilda found stairs and went down it.

"I wonder how the leader looks like," Hilda whispered. The cave was very, quiet. So quiet that it was a bit odd. "According to the map, this cave is known for Woobat and Roggenrola. So...where are the Pokémon?"

Lillipup was sniffing the ground and suddenly ran off. "H-hey! Lillipup!" Hilda ran off after her Lillipup. Lillipup ran behind a rock and found a large underwater lake. There was a small island far in the distance as well. She could barely make out a figure on the island. There was a path of ice made from the island to where she was standing.

However, that was not what Lillipup was interested in. Lillipup's bark made Hilda turn towards him. "What's wro-ah!" Hilda ran over to the object Lillipup was barking at. It was a Pokémon that was encased in ice.

Hilda immediately tossed a Pokeball. "Pansear, Flame Burst!" Pansear appeared from its Pokeball and fired a fireball at the ice. The ice melted and the Pokémon that was in it fell down. Hilda quickly caught it. "A Roggenrola." Hilda returned Pansear and pulled out her Pokedex.

 _Roggenrola. The Mantle Pokémon. Roggenrola is a Rock Type Pokémon._ _The hexagonal-shaped hole is its ear. It has a tendency to walk in the direction the sound is coming from._

"It doesn't look so good. How did it end up frozen like that?" Hilda asked, pulling out a Potion to heal the Roggenrola. "Um, it should be fine…maybe. I'm not sure how rock type's biology work…"

The Roggenrola soon started to move. "Oh, are you all right?" The Roggenrola looked at Hilda (who wondered where Roggenrola's eyes were) and nodded before doing a dance. Hilda laughed slightly before gasping. "I need to get to that island."

Hilda walked over to the path of ice. She tapped the ice with her foot. Lillipup did just that. "You think it's safe, Lillipup?" Lillipup just continued to tap it. The Roggenrola she thawed immediately ran onto the ice and danced on it. "H-hey! That's dangerous!"

Seeing that the ice wasn't melting, Hilda gulped and began walking on ice. "I'm really treading on thin ice here," Hilda laughed nervously. She soon reached the island and was standing directly in front of the person she saw. The person had their back turned, so all she saw was a purple cloak.

"I was told that the enemies were two males," the voice was a deep male's voice. "You would make an excellent Team Plasma recruit." The man turned around. The man had short, grey hair and the Plasma emblem on his chest.

Hilda gulped and grew a determined expression. "Give back Wendy's Pokémon!"

"Wendy? Do you mean a little girl?" Hilda gave him a nod, still glaring at him. The man pulled out a Pokeball. He then tossed it to Hilda who barely caught it. Hilda looked at him, shocked. "You may keep it. If you can defeat me."

"What?" Out of nowhere, a Pokémon that resembled a snowflake appeared and fired an Ice Beam at Hilda, who was able to jump out of the way in time. Hilda quickly pulled out her Pokedex.

 _Cryogonal. The Crystallizing Pokémon. Cryogonal is an Ice Type Pokémon. They are composed of ice crystals. They capture prey with chains of ice, freezing the prey at -148 F._

"N-negative 148 degrees!?" Hilda exclaimed. The Cryogonal started to spin towards them. "Dig, Lillipup!" Lillipup dug out of the way but the Cryogonal continued its spin towards her and was about to hit her.

To Hilda's surprise, the Roggenrola from before appeared and took the Rapid Spin meant for Hilda. This seemed to interest the man. "I thought I had gotten rid of all the wild Pokémon here. Not to mention, taking the hit for a human." Lillipup appeared from the ground and attempted to strike the Cryogonal. Cryogonal however easily avoid the attack. "Is that the best you can do? Ice Beam." Cryogonal fired a beam of ice straight at Lillipup, freezing the puppy Pokémon and knocking it out.

"Return Lillipup. Go Gothita! Psybeam!" Gothita appeared and immediately fired Psybeam straight at the Cryogonal.

"Ice Beam," the Cryogonal used Ice Beam and just went straight through the Psybeam, hitting Gothita directly and knocking her out.

"Thanks, return." Hilda returned Gothita and was about to use another Pokémon when the man spoke.

"We should introduce ourselves before we continue. My name is Zinzolin," the man bowed.

"I'm Hilda," Hilda said warily.

"Now that we have that out of the way, why do you compliment your Pokémon once they faint? They failed their duty so what right do they have to be complimented?"

Hilda was caught off guard by the question. "Well, their self-esteem would just decrease, and that's not right. I want to make sure they know how much I appreciate how well they did in battle."

"Hmph."

"Now why don't you answer my question!? What did you mean when you said you had gotten rid of all the wild Pokémon here!?"

Zinzolin raised an arm, gesturing to a certain spot. Hilda could make out an ice block that suddenly fell into the water.

"Exactly what I meant. They are all probably at the bottom of the lake, no more air to breathe."

* * *

"These children are who you were struggling with?"

"Err…"

"How pathetic."

"Don't think we're weak!" Ash exclaimed, Pidove flying in front of him.

"Whirlipede!" The female guard sent out.

"Dwebble!" The male guard sent out. Ash and Cheren both pulled out their Pokedex.

 _Whirlipede. The Curlipede Pokémon. Whirlipede is a Bug and Poison Type Pokémon and is the evolved form of Venipede. Storing energy for evolution, it sits. But, when predators approach, it moves to stab them with poison spikes._

 _Dwebble. The Rock Inn Pokémon. Dwebble is a Bug and Rock Type Pokémon._ _When it finds a stone of a suitable size, it secretes a liquid from its mouth to open up a hole to crawl into._

"More bug Type Pokémon?" Cheren muttered. "Purrloin, use Assist!" Purrloin raised its hand and fired wind slashes at the two Pokémon.

"Let's make that a double Air Cutter!" Ash exclaimed, fist pumping the air. Pidove also fired the wind slashes at the two Pokémon. The two attacks combined and resulted in a large and powerful Air Cutter.

"Into your shell Dwebble!" Dwebble duck into its shell.

"Let's get rolling Whirlipede! Rollout!" Whirlipede began rolling and the Air Cutters were just deflected off of Whirlipede.

The Air Cutters were deflected off of Dwebble's shell. Whirlipede continued rolling and did a jump, getting a direct hit against Pidove.

"Pidove!" Ash quickly caught Pidove who was crashing into the ground. "Thanks, you did a great job."

"Dwebble, Bug Bite!" The Dwebble bit Purrloin, dealing massive damage. "Slash." Dwebble's pincers slashed at Purrloin, knocking it out.

"Already?" Cheren said, returning Purrloin.

"Tepig! Come on out!" Ash released Tepig who was ready for a battle.

"I wasn't planning on using this Pokémon, but here we go. Tympole!" Out from Cheren's Pokémon was a Pokémon that resembled a tadpole. Ash pulled out his Pokedex.

 _Tympole the Tadpole Pokémon. Tympole is a Water Type Pokémon. By vibrating its cheeks, it emits sound waves imperceptible to humans and warns others of danger._

"What do you mean you weren't planning on using it?" Ash asked, frowning slightly.

"As in I was planning on giving it to the Professor," Cheren explained.

Ash nodded. "Oh, I get it. Let's finish this. Tepig, Flame Charge!"

"Bubblebeam." Tepig charged straight towards Whirlipede covered in fire and Tympole fired bubbles straight at Dwebble.

"Keep up the Rollout, Whirlipede!" Whirlipede continued its rolling and met Tepig head on. The Bubblebeam was able to knock out Dwebble right away.

"Come on Tepig! You can do it!"

"Don't you dare let up, Whirlipede!"

"Allow me to assist you Ash," Cheren said. "Mud Shot." Tympole fired two balls of mud at Whirlipede, causing it to stop its Rollout, resulting in Tepig getting a direct hit and knocking it out.

"How is that fair!?" The female guard exclaimed, returning her Whirlipede.

Cheren adjusted his glasses. "Fair? In a Double Battle it is the duty of the other trainer to watch their partner's back."

"Not to mention we just fought your friends without a break!" Ash stated, gesturing to the grunts behind the guards.

"It's not like they're strong enough to weaken any Pokémon," the male guard said, sending out another Pokémon. This time it was a Patrat.

"Ash," Cheren immediately stated. Ash turned to him. "They clearly do not work well with each other. Let's try and mess them up. They're starting to bug me."

Ash grinned and nodded. "I like the way you think Cheren!"

"Herdier, go," the female grunt sent out.

"Tepig, use Ember at the Patrat!" Ash commanded. Tepig fired pellets of fire straight at the Patrat, who started running to dodge it.

"Bubblebeam," Cheren commanded. Tympole attacked the area that Patrat was going to run to. This caused Patrat to start running in the opposite direction.

"Herdier, Thunderbolt on that Tympole." Herdier fired off a Thunderbolt straight to Tympole.

"Tepig, counter with Ember!" Tepig did just that and it resulted in an explosion.

"Keep using Bubblebeam," Cheren said. Tympole kept chasing the Patrat around by firing Bubblebeams behind it.

"What is your pathetic Patrat doing!? Herdier use Take Down on Tympole!"

"Not yet! Tepig, Flame Charge!" Tepig interrupted the Take Down with another Flame Charge.

The female guard gritted her teeth. "Why are you so insistent on getting in my way!?"

"No reason," Ash responded with a grin, infuriating the female grunt even more.

"That's it!" The male guard shouted suddenly. "Patrat, Crunch that Tympole!" Patrat started to run towards Tympole, avoiding the Bubblebeams.

"Tepig! Get to Tympole quickly!" Ash shouted. Tepig quickly ran over to his partner.

"You pick a fight then run? Herdier, Shadow Ball!" Herdier fired a purple ball of dark energy at Tepig.

"Ash. Let's end this." Ash nodded. "Tympole!"

Tympole used its tail to jump into the air and avoided Patrat's Crunch. Tympole landed on Tepig's back and fired a Mud Shot at the incoming Shadow Ball. "Tepig, Tackle at that Patrat." Tepig tackled Patrat and sent it flying into the wall.

"Ash, you don't have to hold back." Ash looked at Cheren before nodding.

"Straight at Herdier! Flame Charge!" Tepig used Flame Charge and ran straight to Herdier.

"Patrat! Help out Herdier with Tackle!" Patrat jumped from the wall it was send into and charged at the running Herdier.

"Tympole, fire Mud Shot behind you, on the ground!" Tympole turned around while on Tepig's back and fired Mud Shot on the ground resulting in an explosion and dust cloud.

"Take Down, and don't you dare stop!" Herdier once again the two Pokémon collided.

"Tepig, in the air!" Tepig let up its attack and allowed Herdier to send him and Tympole into the air.

"What are they planning," the female guard wondered. She did not see the incoming Tackle from her partner's Patrat.

"What was that for!?" She looked at her partner who cowered in fear.

"Uh…"

"Just get your Patrat on Herdier's back. That way you can't do anything stupid." The male guard nodded and instructed his Patrat to do just that, doing something similar to Tepig and Tympole.

Cheren grew a small smirk. "We did it Ash."

Ash didn't bother hiding his grin. "Let them have it Cheren!"

"Tympole, Supersonic!" Supersonic waves came out of Tympole's mouth and made contact with the two Pokémon.

And now Herdier was trying to shake off Patrat while Patrat was scratching Herdier. "Get your Patrat off my Herdier!"

"What? You just told me to tell Patrat to get on your Herdier!"

"Idiot! Do you not understand the situation!? Our Pokémon are confused and are attacking each other!"

Ash and Cheren only watched as the two trainers and the two Pokémon continued to fight each other. "Ash, go check up on Hilda. I'll deal with them." Ash nodded and returned Tepig. He then ran off.

"Man Pikachu, for a new trainer, Cheren sure is something." Pikachu nodded, agreeing completely. "I can't wait to battle him!"

* * *

Hilda's eyes widened and she started to tremble. She looked at the water, then back at the man. "You…did you really…?"

The Roggenrola was also not happy with this, not in the slightest. From the hole inside Roggenrola, a rock formed and was shot straight at Cryogonal. Cryogonal was hit by one, then another, then another. "Rock Blast. Super Effective…and would have done some serious damage, if you weren't a weak wild Pokémon.

Hilda clenched her right fist so hard that her nails ended up cutting her palm resulting in blood dripping down her hand. "You…You're horrible!" She took out a Pokeball using her left hand. "Pansear! Flame Burst!"

Pansear fired a fire ball but the Cryogonal dodged easily. Pansear continued to fire Flame Bursts and Roggenrola joined in using Rock Blast but the Cryogonal kept dodging.

"Cryogonal has considerably more experience than you do. Icy Wind." Cryogonal created gusts of icy winds that was starting to freeze everything around them.

"P-P-Pansear! F-F-Flame BURST!" Pansear fired a Flame Burst and hit Cryogonal directly, stopping the Icy Wind. Cryogonal however quickly flew back and used Rapid Spin, hitting Pansear into the air.

Hilda quickly returned Pansear before Pansear could fall into the water. "Phew. Thanks Pansear. Oshawott!" Oshawott appeared, ready to fight with her scalchop in hand.

"…Is that your last Pokémon?" Hilda looked at Zinzolin with gritted teeth. "You do realize once your Oshawott faints, you shall return the Pokémon I liberated."

Hilda shook her head. "Well I'm not losing! Water Gun!" Oshawott fired a torrent of water at Cryogonal, who simply dodged once more. "It's movement is so unpredictable." Hilda noticed how the Roggenrola was also continuing to fire Rock Blasts.

"What if I can predict which direction Cryogonal will dodge the Rock Blast?" Hilda whispered. "Roggenrola! Can you use Rock Blast to the left, right, and below Cryogonal?" Roggenrola nodded and did just that. This surprised Zinzolin.

Cryogonal dodged all three Rock Blasts by flying upwards. "Now Oshawott!" Oshawott fired a Water Gun and landed the hit, making Cryogonal fall to the ground.

"A wild Pokémon listened to you? How interesting. And here I thought only our King could do that. You may end up being a thorn in Lord Ghetsis' side." Zinzolin looked at his Cryogonal. "Get up and use Ice Beam."

Cryogonal fired a beam of ice straight at Hilda. Oshawott's eyes widened and acted without thinking, taking the attack for Hilda. "Oshawott!" Hilda caught her frozen Oshawott and looked at it sadly. "Oshawott…"

"It seems you have lost," Hilda glared at Zinzolin, hugging her frozen Pokémon tightly.

"I will never forgive you!" Hilda shouted.

Zinzolin didn't seem to care as he approached Hilda, who stepped back. "I would like my liberated Pokémon back, as you were unable to defeat me." Hilda clutched the frozen Oshawott even more, not willing to give up the liberated Pokémon in her bag. "I see you do not like keeping your end of the deal. I don't like deal breakers." Zinzolin took another step forward and Hilda took another step back.

The frozen block of ice in Hilda's arm started to shake and Oshawott broke out and fired a Water Gun at Zinzolin. Zinzolin's Cryogonal took the hit for him.

"Thank you Oshawott." Hilda adjusted her cap. "Now, use Razor Shell!" Oshawott ran up to Cryogonal and delivered a horizontal slash. Roggenrola followed the attack with Headbutt.

"Rapid Spin." Cryogonal started to spin and charged straight at Oshawott. Roggenrola once again blocked the attack.

"You're really defensive, aren't you?" Hilda said as Roggenrola pushed back Cryogonal.

"Freeze that Roggenrola." Cryogonal used Ice Beam once more and aimed straight at Roggenrola. Oshawott decided to return the favour and jump in front of Roggenrola, using her scalchop to block the Ice Beam, though was slowly being pushed back.

"Don't give up Oshawott!" Hilda encouraged her Oshawott who was doing her best to stand her ground against the Ice Beam.

"What are mere words going to do? The fact is Cryogonal is much stronger than you. Encouraging it isn't going to do you any good."

"That's what you think!" I'm not going to take advice from you! Keep going Oshawott!"

"Stop holding back Cryogonal. Show this child the truth of this world." Cryogonal started to increase the power but was suddenly hit by a Rock Blast.

"Nice shot Roggenrola!" Hilda complimented. The Roggenrola danced before firing another Rock Blast at the Cryogonal. "It has to be getting weak, I can see it's getting tired."

"Cryogonal, let's be done with the games." Cryogonal used the chain that extended from its mouth and grabbed Roggenrola. It then tossed Roggenrola straight at Oshawott, knocking both Pokémon out.

"Oshawott! Roggenrola!" Hilda ran towards the two Pokémon. "You two battled really hard. Return Oshawott. And thanks Roggenrola." Hilda returned her Oshawott and rubbed the top of Roggenrola.

Zinzolin started to approach Hilda once more. "Now you have been defeated. Give me your Pokémon." Hilda shook her head and stepped back again, no more room to step back.

"I don't understand. What makes you think Pokémon are happy by being separated from their trainers!?"

"You are a new trainer, are you not? So you do not understand our goal, or the words you are saying."

"I understand one thing for sure. Pokémon like being with humans!"

"…Perhaps," Zinzolin whispered very quietly. "I have gotten tired of this. I have spent way too long here. Cryogonal."

Hilda gasped as Cryogonal fired an Ice Beam straight at her. Hilda tried to run but Cryogonal was too quick. Hilda soon lost all form of feeling as her body became numb and her consciousness was gone. Cryogonal used its chain to grab Hilda and pull her over to Zinzolin.

"I wonder how far she would have gone with Pokémon coexisting alongside her. She reminds me of our king. But I thought Lord Ghetsis said…"

"HILDA!" Zinzolin and Cryogonal turned to the voice and saw Ash running across the ice bridge.

"That boy…so he was the one Lord Ghetsis referred to." Zinzolin looked at Ash's eyes which had a fire in them. "Yes, I see the resemblance." Zinzolin turned to the frozen Hilda. He grabbed her by the head and held her up facing Ash, who stopped immediately.

"You…what did you do to her!?"

"Isn't it obvious? Frozen like the countless Pokémon at the bottom of this lake."

Ash and Pikachu's eyes widened. "What…?"

"So you must be a friend of this girl," Zinzolin raised her higher, making Ash clench his fist.

"Let her go!"

Cryogonal continued flying around the lake. "You see, this girl broke our agreement. She should be punished, don't you think?" Zinzolin moved and held Hilda above the lake.

"What do you think you're doing!?" Ash took a step forward, but Zinzolin lowered his arm slightly.

"Be careful, I get startled easily. I may end up dropping the poor girl into the cold water."

"You're horrible!" Ash shouted and Pikachu's cheeks started to spark.

"Tell me, which do you care about more? Your Pokémon…" Pikachu was about ready to shock the man. "Or this girl." Zinzolin tapped Hilda's hat which was frozen over.

Ash was about ready to explode. "I care for both equally! They're both my friends!"

"I see. So you two aren't as similar as Lord Ghetsis said," Zinzolin muttered before looking back at the girl. "Now then, what shall I do with this girl? I have a feeling that she will only get in the way in the future…same with you."

As soon as Zinzolin said that, Cryogonal appeared right in front of Ash and used Ice Beam. Pikachu was however quick enough and used Thunderbolt, sending Cryogonal to be sent flying back quickly.

"Pikachu, use-"

"Not so fast." Ash stopped immediately as Zinzolin lowered Hilda and her frozen feet were touching the water.

"You coward!" Ash growled, Pikachu doing the same.

"If you want to save her, place all your Pokeballs on the ground." Ash immediately put his guard up and step back. Doing so resulted in Zinzolin lowering Hilda into the water.

Ash closed his eyes and started to unclip each of his Pokeballs from his belt. This resulted in Zinzolin raising Hilda out of the water. Pikachu looked at Ash in surprise. "Don't worry Pikachu. I'll figure something out." Pikachu nodded, trusting Ash's words. Ash slowly placed each one of his Pokeballs on the ground. Pikachu decided to also stand next to the 5 Pokeballs. Ash stepped in front of his Pokeballs and Pikachu. "Now let Hilda go!"

Zinzolin snapped a finger. Ash felt a sudden chill behind him. He turned around and was shocked as Cryogonal appeared and froze all of Ash's Pokeballs and Pikachu as well as Ash's legs.

"Hey! What's the big idea!?" Ash tried to move but was stuck.

"Allow me to test you." Ash's watched as Zinzolin raised Hilda, before letting go of her head, dropping her into the lake.

Time slowed down for Ash as he met Hilda's lifeless eyes falling into the lake. Before Ash knew it, he broke out of the ice and jumped into the lake after her.

Zinzolin smirked and turned to the frozen Pikachu and Pokeballs. He started to walk over to them but was suddenly hit by a Leaf Tornado.

Cheren pushed up his glasses and had a hateful expression on his face. "I shall never forgive you." Snivy also glared at Zinzolin before glowing.

* * *

 **…Um, I guess I'm sticking with Rated T. A bit dark for the anime, but I guess this is some kind of combination of the anime, games, and manga. Zinzolin is a very strange sage, but is completely loyal to Ghetsis and his ideals.**

 **I have a feeling this isn't going to sit well with others. If people** ** _reaaaally_** **despise this chapter, I'll rewrite it. I personally enjoyed writing this chapter. It felt nice to get away from the cheesy, typical Rated K stuff but that may just be me. The reason for this being so dark is…well, I'm not sure. I planned the battle with Hilda and Zinzolin since Chapter 4 or 5, but the Wild Pokémon part just came to me suddenly.**

 **It also seems like people are starting to lose interest in this story based on the view count. That's not going to stop me though, as I'll continue writing no matter what (well, until school comes around and holds me back) but if there's anything I can do better, please let me know.**

 **So yeah, advice is appreciated. Especially since the pacing was really…meh. Well, thanks for reading and Review!**


	11. Guilty Aftermath

**lucario1997:** **Um, Ash and Hilda.**

 **PauloPR90:** **I had a feeling that was the case. The older ones have been trained more than his new ones. Like, when Ash went to Johto he had his Pokémon from the Orange Islands. But as he caught more Johto Pokémon, he would keep them with him and send back his old Pokémon and use them in tournaments only. But I do understand what you mean. I'm trying to keep it as realistic as possible canon wise, and this is what Ash does. That doesn't mean that none of his old Pokémon won't return though.**

 **ShadeZyro:** **Glad you liked it. Was worried people wouldn't like the dark turn.**

 **Gsmingkun:** **It wasn't** ** _horrible._** **It was watchable. It just had a lot of cringe worthy moments for previous fans. But I know a lot of people who skipped or stopped watching the anime after the first episode. But thank you!**

 **ASD Pokemon Fan:** **Thank you! I'm kinda curious what questions you had that were left unanswered, since I'm surprised there were questions to be asked in the first place but thanks!**

* * *

Ash swam as fast as he could to Hilda who was sinking into the water like a rock.

 _You can do it Ash. You've done something similar before._ Ash thought to himself as he recalled a certain underwater temple.

He reached Hilda quickly. He ignored the Pokémon that were at the bottom of the lake and grabbed Hilda. He held her close as he began to kick his legs, trying to make it back to the surface before he ran out of air.

Ash reached the surface and struggled to keep afloat with Hilda. He could barely make out Cheren fighting Zinzolin, Cheren's Servine fighting Cryogonal.

Ash focused on returning to land with Hilda and began to swim to the main part of the cave, away from the island.

 _Cheren will save my Pokémon. I need to save Hilda._

Ash soon made it to land with Hilda and coughed as he tried to compose himself. He looked at Hilda's scared yet lifeless expression. Ash touched her frozen hand. "No doubt she's going to have a fever…maybe something even worse." Ash whipped his head back to the island. "I need Tepig, but I can't leave her here. What if there are more members of Team Plasma?"

Ash saw an explosion and then noticed Cheren's figure stand triumphantly while Zinzolin was on his knees. Ash let out a sigh of relief. "Cheren must have won."

* * *

"You will pay dearly for what you have done. Leaf Tornado." Cheren commanded his new Servine who was also enraged.

"A mere Grass Type move won't do you any good. Cryogonal, Ice Beam," Zinzolin commanded. Cryogonal fired an Ice Beam straight at the Leaf Tornado.

Cheren pushed his glasses up as the two attacks collided, resulting in an explosion. "Then how about this? Leaf Blade!" Servine's tail glowed green and it quickly ran and slammed its tail against Cryogonal, sending it into the ground.

"Grab it with Vine Whip!" Vines appeared out from behind Servine's neck and wrapped around the Cryogonal.

"Won't work, boy. Rapid Spin." The Cryogonal spun and was able to get out of the Vines. "Ice Beam." Cryogonal fired a beam of ice straight to Servine.

"Solarbeam!" Servine fired an extremely powerful and bright beam which overpowered the Ice Beam and hit Cryogonal directly, knocking it out.

Zinzolin fell to his knees. "How? Solarbeam needs to be charged!" He looked up and saw Cheren giving him a glare. Cheren turned around and picked up Ash's Pokeballs, the frozen Pikachu, and the fainted Roggenrola.

"You're not getting away. You shall pay for your crimes," Cheren said with a voice colder than Cryogonal.

Zinzolin glared at Cheren, returning Cryogonal. He watched as Cheren made his way across the ice bridge with Servine following. Zinzolin then grew a small smile. "We'll see about that." Zinzolin then disappeared into thin air, surprising Cheren.

"Did he teleport?" Cheren asked before shaking his head. He quickly ran over to Ash and the frozen Hilda.

"I don't have a Fire Type Pokémon," Cheren said, handing Ash his frozen Pokémon.

Ash held up Tepig's Pokeball. "If we can defrost Tepig, we can defrost everyone."

Cheren rubbed his chin. "If we can get rid of the ice in the part of the Pokeball that opens, then we can free Tepig. We will need something sharp."

Ash nodded and looked around. He saw a sharp rock and immediately grabbed it. "Will this do, Cheren?" Cheren nodded and Ash began destroying the ice around Tepig's Pokeball. He was successful and Tepig appeared.

Tepig looked at the situation and was shocked. "Ember, now Tepig!" Tepig nodded and used Ember to defrost Ash's Pokeballs, Pikachu, and Hilda. Ash placed his Pokeballs back on his belt and picked up Hilda. "We need to get her to a hospital." Both Pikachu and Tepig jumped onto Ash's shoulder.

"Nacrene City should have one," Cheren said. "Oh, first let me tell Bianca to get the girl out of here. She doesn't need to see this."

Ash nodded and watched as Cheren used his X-Transceiver and talk with Bianca. He finished the conversation quickly and gave Ash a nod. Cheren picked up the fainted Roggenrola and the two made their way out of the cave.

They exited the cave and noticed that the sun was going down. "Has it been that long?" Ash asked, looking up at the sky which was turning orange.

"It seems so. Let's hurry, we cannot afford to wait." Ash nodded and they ran as fast they could to Nacrene City. They entered the city and received various stares, but paid them no mine. Cheren asked for directions and the two were off.

* * *

"How is she?" Ash asked, looking at Hilda who was sleeping on a hospital bed. It was currently around midnight when they arrived at the hospital. He was currently wearing a pair of sweatpants and a shirt with a Pokeball on it, as his clothes were soaked.

The doctor looked at his clipboard. "She'll be fine. Just give her a few days at the very least." Ash watched with a sad expression as Hilda was shivering slightly. "Please leave and get some rest while we treat her."

Ash nodded and walked out of the room. He saw Cheren and Bianca approach him. "How is she?" Cheren asked.

Ash tried to smile. "She'll be fine he says. Has hypothermia or something. But give her a few days and she will be just fine."

Bianca let out a breath of relief. Cheren just sat down on a seat against the wall. "This is all my fault. If we had just finished our battle quicker instead of messing around…"

"It's not your fault Cheren! You did the best you could, right Ash?" Bianca looked at Ash who nodded immediately.

"That's right Cheren. It's none of our fault. It's that man's fault." Ash clenched his fist.

Bianca nodded. "Exactly!" Bianca exclaimed before realizing where they were. "Um, why don't we head back to the Pokémon Center?"

Ash and Cheren nodded and began making their way back in silence. "Um, I returned Wendy's Pokémon. You should have seen how happy she was. She really appreciated what you guys did for her."

Ash and Cheren nodded but said nothing. Cheren suddenly punched the wall of a building, startling Bianca and Ash. "Cheren?"

"I have decided. I'm going to get stronger. I will become the champion. And I will make them pay." Bianca was shocked beyond belief, having never heard Cheren say something so angrily and passionate.

Ash nodded, agreeing with Cheren's words. "Yeah, getting stronger is definitely the way to go. Just remember Cheren, your Pokémon are your partners. Without them, you won't be getting anything done."

Cheren turned to Ash. "Of course. I won't ever forget that. Not after what happened."

The three stepped into the Pokémon Center and saw Nurse Joy still at the counter. She noticed the three and smiled. "Ash, Cheren! Your Pokémon have made a healthy recovery."

Audino approached the two with a cart. On the cart were three treys, one with 4 Pokeballs and Pikachu, one with 6 Pokeballs, and the other with 5 Pokeballs and Roggenrola.

Pikachu jumped into Ash's arms and Ash hugged him before claiming his Pokeballs and Hilda's. The eggs were with Nurse Joy. Cheren took his Pokeballs and picked up the Roggenrola. Someone else entered the Pokémon Center just then. They turned around and saw Officer Jenny.

"Ash, Cheren. I have some questions for you two," she said immediately. The two weren't surprised, as they expected this. They went to sit at one of the tables.

* * *

"So it was Team Plasma that killed so many Wild Pokémon?"

"That's what the leader said. He said something about Pokémon frozen at the bottom of the lake," Ash said.

Officer Jenny wrote that down in her notes. "Do you know what his name? What he looked like?"

"He had a purple cloak, grey hair, and has a Cryogonal for a Pokémon," Cheren said.

"That doesn't help much," Officer Jenny sighed. "Unfortunately, we cannot use your testimony to convict Team Plasma without proof."

Cheren had a feeling this would happen and could only narrow his eyes. Ash and Bianca on the other hand, were not happy with that. "What!? After how much Pokémon they killed, they're just going to get off Scott free!?" Ash shouted, Pikachu also shouting.

"Please, settle down. We couldn't find proof that it was Team Plasma who killed those Pokémon. The only reason we're not suspecting you three is because none of you have an Ice Type Pokémon. For all we know, they could have been killed by someone else."

Ash was about to lash out but Cheren quickly placed a hand on his mouth. "What will happen to the bodies of the Pokémon then?"

Officer Jenny looked down. "They will be given proper burials at the Celestial Tower."

Ash eventually calmed down and asked, "Celestial Tower?"

Officer Jenny nodded. "It's a grave-site for Pokémon. It's located in West Unova."

"We'll definitely pay a visit when we're in the area," Cheren said.

Officer Jenny stood up. "Thank you for your time. It's quite late, I suggest you three get some rest." Officer Jenny then exited the Pokémon Center and left by her motorcycle.

Bianca and Cheren stood up, ready to head to their rooms. "Come on Ash," Bianca said. "You need to rest."

Ash looked up and noticed Bianca's worried expression. Cheren had already left. "Yeah, I just need to make a quick call." Bianca nodded and left. Ash sighed and looked at Pikachu, whose ears dropped immediately after they left. "I'm worried too buddy."

Ash went to the video phones. He dialed a number and waited. Eventually, a familiar woman in a lab coat appeared. "Ash? What a surprise. I didn't expect you to call so late."

Ash rubbed the back of his head. "I hope I'm not disturbing you, Professor."

Professor Juniper shook her head. "Of course not. Now, what do you need?"

"I would like to send a Pokémon over," Ash said, taking Pidove's Pokeball.

"Now?" Ash nodded. "Very well. Just put it in the transporter." As she said that, the transporter next to the phone opened. Ash placed Pidove's Pokeball in it and it was soon gone. Professor Juniper held it up for Ash to see.

"Thanks Professor. If you don't mind, I need to call someone else."

Professor Juniper nodded. "It's fine Ash. Best of luck to you and Hilda." With that, the call ended.

"So far luck hasn't been kind to us," Ash muttered before dialing another number.

"Ash?" Another familiar woman in a lab coat was on the screen.

"Hi Fennel!" Ash greeted. Pikachu also waved from his shoulder.

"It's good to see you. How are you doing?"

"To be honest, not so good. I was wondering if you could send Munna here." The moment Ash said Munna's name, Munna appeared on the screen.

Fennel frowned. "Oh dear. I'll send her to you immediately. Munna, return to your Pokeball. You're going back with Ash." Ash watched as Fennel returned Munna and placed it in her transporter. The transporter next to the video phone glowed and Munna's Pokeball was now there.

Ash picked up Munna's Pokeball and showed it to Fennel. "I got it. Thanks Fennel!"

Fennel nodded. "Anytime Ash. I should let you go."

"Thanks again Fennel." The video call ended. Ash looked at Pikachu. "Well, hopefully no nightmares for us, huh buddy?" Pikachu nodded and Ash headed to his room.

When he entered, he noticed just how empty it was. There were two beds, but only Ash was staying in this room. "We've never been alone, huh?"

Pikachu looked at Ash as Ash sat down on his bed. "Misty, Tracey, May, Max, Dawn, Brock, Hilda. They have always been with us."

Pikachu's let out a sad 'cha' as he sat on Ash's lap. Ash smiled softly as he scratched Pikachu between the ears. Pikachu let out cries of pleasure, making Ash's smile widen.

Pikachu felt something wet hit his cheek and looked up to see tears flowing from Ash's eyes and the smile he had was gone. "Pika?"

Ash stopped scratching Pikachu's head. "I couldn't protect her, Pikachu! I promised her and her mother but I couldn't keep my promise!"

"Pika…"

"And those Pokémon…when I jumped in the lake, there were so many! ARGH!" Ash clutched his head at the memory. Too many unmoving bodies at the bottom of the lake.

"Pikapi…"

"That's right, I have to…" Ash went over to Hilda's bag and took out her 4 Pokeballs. He released each of the Pokémon. They each looked around for their trainer before looking at Ash with worried expressions. "Hilda's currently in the hospital, but she'll be fine in a few days."

Hilda's Pokémon let out breaths of relief at the news. They then noticed tears started to flow from Ash's eyes and looked at him worriedly. Ash fell on his knees. "I'm sorry…I'm sorry I wasn't able to help her!" The Pokémon looked surprised at Ash's sudden breakdown. They had known him to be a strong passionate trainer and the one who encouraged their trainer.

Ash still couldn't get over the events that had just took place. Even with the encouragement from Pikachu. He closed his eyes and clenched his fists, the memories flowing through his mind once more.

He opened his eyes when he felt a sudden wetness on hand. He opened his eyes and saw Lillipup licking his hand. Purrloin went over to him and rubbed her head against his other hand. Oshawott and Gothita took a direct approach and tackled Ash, giving him a hug. Pansear only went over to Ash and patted his shoulder.

Ash let out a chuckle. "Hilda sure is lucky to have such amazing Pokémon. And you guys are lucky to have Hilda as a trainer." Ash rubbed his eyes with his arm and gave the Pokémon a smile. "Thanks you guys. What do you say we pay Hilda a visit?" Her Pokémon cheered but before Ash could return them, someone entered his room.

"Hey Ash, are you still up?" Ash turned to the door and saw Cheren.

"Yeah, what's up Cheren?"

Cheren gestured to a small Pokémon next to him. "This one just ran off and was trying to enter your room."

Ash pulled out his Pokedex and scanned the Roggenrola. He put his Pokedex away in his bag. "Why?" Cheren shrugged and the two trainers watched as Roggenrola approached Hilda's Pokémon. "Do you guys know this Roggenrola?" Ash asked.

Hilda's Pokémon nodded and spoke. Ash turned to Pikachu. "Uh, what did they say?" Pikachu explained what they said and Ash nodded in understanding. "So this Roggenrola fought alongside Hilda against that man?"

Hilda's Pokémon nodded and Cheren was surprised. "Can you understand what Pikachu is saying?"

Ash rubbed the back of his head. "Kind of. It's more like, I understand him rather than know what pika means. I'm sure you can understand what your Pokémon say. The closer the bond, the better!"

"I see. I have so much to learn. Well, good night Ash."

"Good night Cheren," Ash said, watching Cheren leave. He then returned Hilda's Pokémon. "Hey Roggenrola, we're going to pay Hilda a visit. Want to come along?" Roggenrola nodded and Ash put on his bag and exited his room.

As Ash headed to the hospital, he turned to his partner on his shoulder. "Do you think Hilda will want to continue travelling?" Pikachu tilted his head. "She went through so much. No doubt is she going to question her journey."

He soon reached the hospital and quietly snuck into Hilda's room. He turned on the lights and looked around and noticed there wasn't a chair. He went into another room and took one of the chairs there and brought it to Hilda's room. He placed Roggenrola on the floor and Pikachu jumped down from his shoulder.

"She looks like she's having a nightmare," Ash said as Hilda had a contorted expression and looked like she was in pain. Ash pulled out a Pokeball and opened it and Munna appeared. Munna was happy to see him but noticed Hilda in the bed. She looked at Ash who gave her a small smile. "We had a problem. But, can you eat her nightmare?"

Munna nodded and floated over to Hilda's head. Munna opened her mouth and Hilda's body glowed purple. Ash watched as Munna ate the purple glow around Hilda. Before long, the glow was gone and Hilda started to open her eyes. Ash felt like hitting himself for forgetting that once Munna eats someone's dreams, the person wakes up.

Hilda opened her eyes and everything was blurry. She waited for her eyes to adjust but all she saw was a white ceiling. Which was soon blocked by a familiar pink Pokémon. "Munna?"

"Mun!" Munna said happily before landing on Hilda's stomach. Hilda decided to turn to her side and saw her familiar raven-haired companion.

"Ash!"

"Hey. Um, how are you feeling?" Ash asked awkwardly.

Hilda giggled before giving Ash a smile. "My head feels a little light but other than that, I'm fine."

"That's good to hear."

…

Hilda decided to sit up but her hand was being held. Looking at her hand, her face could only heat up. "Um, Ash. You…"

"Huh?"

"…Never mind." Hilda sat up against the wall. The movement made Ash realize where his hands were.

Ash let go of Hilda's hand, his face heating up. "Uh, sorry." This feeling was new to him. He's touched many girl's hands and even stood next to some in breathing distance. Yet now he was embarrassed.

Hilda meanwhile watched Ash curiously as his face turned red, then shake his head, then slap himself in the face. Hilda stifled a laugh. "Ash, are you all right?"

Ash took his hand off his face and looked at Hilda. Seeing her amused expression, Ash rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just, uh, thinking about something."

Hilda retained her amused expression and merely rose a brow. "I see. So, what am I doing here anyways?"

Ash looked at her in surprise. "You don't remember?"

Hilda hugged Munna and tried to think. "Um…" All of a sudden, Munna opened her mouth and the familiar blue puff of smoke appeared in front of Hilda. Hilda' having never seen this before, looked on in amazement.

Ash watched as the nightmare took place. It was much different from the real event, but that was to be expected from a nightmare. All of Hilda's Pokémon were scrawled out on the ground and she was in the air being strangled by the Cryogonal's chains. Zinzolin was a shadow with glowing red eyes. Hilda's Oshawott was able to save Hilda, but then the Cryogonal created a very sharp ice-dagger and sent it straight at Oshawott. It went straight through Oshawott's scalchop and pierced Oshawott's heart.

Ash cringed at the painful scream both Hilda and Oshawott let out. For a mere nightmare, it was scarily realistic.

Torture had befallen her other Pokémon. The Cryogonal had held Lillipup's head underwater, drowning him. It froze Gothita before destroying her. It then strangled both Purrloin and Pansear at the same time. Even the egg, the egg was crushed and the baby Pokémon would never have been born.

Ash's eyes widened as him and Pikachu were next. The two were frozen together in a similar way to how Hilda was. Even more similar was him and Pikachu being dropped into the water. It seemed that was the point where Munna ate the dream, as it had ended and the blue puff of smoke was in the air.

Ash and Pikachu were stunned at what they just witnessed. A horrible nightmare. Ash wished he would have made it sooner and saved Hilda from the agony of that nightmare.

He turned to Hilda and saw her and Munna hugging each other tightly. Munna was clearly frightened and to Ash's surprise, it was Hilda comforting Munna.

"It's okay Munna, it's only a nightmare." Ash and Pikachu looked at each other, then back at Hilda. Hilda noticed the stares and looked at them with a smile. "So that's how Dream Mist works, huh?"

"Um…"

Hilda tilted her head and gave Ash a smile. "You don't have to worry about me Ash. Nightmares don't bother me. They're only there to get you down. To hinder you. And they aren't real."

Ash blinked before looking back at the puff of smoke. "But it still must have hurt you in some way. To even have this nightmare in the first place…"

"I'm still scared." Hilda watched as Munna floated from her arms and landed on Ash's head. "That battle was really scary. He attacked not just my Pokémon, but me as well. But I guess this proves that the world isn't black and white."

Ash remained quiet and Hilda continued. "But does that mean it's gray? I don't know. There's still so much I need to learn about the world. And that's why…" Hilda looked at Ash with a determined expression. "I want to continue travelling with you, Ash."

Ash could see so many emotions in her eyes. Emotions he was all too familiar with. He also saw slight fear in her eyes. Ash wanted to rid that fear. Placing his hand on hers was a start and he noticed Hilda's face heat up. "I'm glad. And I'm going to do whatever it takes to make sure you never go through something like that again."

Hilda could hear the guilt in Ash's voice and responded by placing her other hand on Ash's, feeling his skin warm up. "It wasn't your fault, Ash. Not yours, or Cheren's. I'm actually happy you trusted me to get the job done."

"Yeah, and you did great! Wendy was really happy when we gave her back her Pokémon. Bianca told her it was all thanks to you and told us that she really wants to see you."

Hilda nodded and let go of Ash's hand. Ash suddenly remembered the Pokémon at the bottom of the bed. He picked up Roggenrola and placed him on the bed. "This little guy came here to see you."

Hilda looked surprised. "Oh! You're the Roggenrola that fought with me." Hilda put a hand on Roggenrola and rubbed him. "What are you doing here?"

"Isn't it obvious? He came to see how you're doing!" Ash explained and Roggenrola nodded.

"Aww, thank you Roggenrola!" Hilda then recalled the events at Wellspring Cave, and her smile disappeared. "Oh, but your friends…"

Roggenrola looked down. Pikachu patted Roggenrola who looked at Pikachu In appreciation. "Officer Jenny said they were going to take the Pokémon to a place called Celestial Tower," Ash told Hilda.

"Oh, that's pretty far from here," Hilda said before looking back at Roggenrola. "So what are you going to do now, Roggenrola?"

Roggenrola just looked down at the bed, thinking. Ash got an idea just then. "Why don't you join us? We'll probably visit Celestial Tower one day."

Roggenrola looked at Ash and while they couldn't tell, Roggenrola was surprised at the offer. He looked at Hilda who gave him a smile. Roggenrola did a jump, agreeing to the offer. Hilda clapped her hands. "That's great Roggenrola! Um, who do you want to be your trainer?"

"Um, isn't that obvious Hilda? It would be you!" Hilda blinked and Ash explained. "Well, he fought alongside you and came to see how you're doing. No doubt he would prefer to join you, am I right?" Ash looked at Roggenrola who jumped again, agreeing with Ash.

Ash put down his bag and pulled out a Pokeball and handed it to Hilda. Hilda accepted it and tapped Roggenrola's head. Roggenrola was sucked into the Pokeball which shook three times before clicking. "I never expected to catch a Pokémon like this," Hilda laughed before handing Ash Roggenrola's Pokeball.

Ash laughed as well, taking Roggenrola's Pokeball and placing it inside his bag. "I recommend you send one of your Pokémon to Professor Juniper. A trainer can only hold 6 Pokémon at a time."

"Um, I only have 5 though."

"Yeah, but when your egg hatches you won't be able to catch the Pokémon."

"Oh! That would be bad." Ash nodded before pulling out Hilda's Pokémon.

"These guys were really worried about you…"

* * *

After letting Hilda's Pokémon see Hilda, Ash returned them and left the hospital. He turned to Pikachu who was on his shoulder. "Hopefully the doctors will release her tomorrow." Pikachu nodded in agreement before sensing something. Ash noticed Pikachu's ears straighten. "What's up buddy?" Pikachu jumped off of Ash's shoulder and ran to the north.

Ash quickly gave chase and soon ended up in front of a large building. It was very big and had large windows. It looked modern yet ancient, with various pillars but were renovated to match the current era.

Pikachu stood in front of Ash, staring at the entrance. Ash noticed a shadow looking up at the building. The shadow was standing underneath the roof that extended slightly, so the shadow was hidden from the moonlight. The shadow turned around and stepped forward. Ash's eyes widened at the person and he and Pikachu relaxed.

"N, what are you doing here so late?" Ash asked, approaching N.

N pulled down his cap. "Ash, do you care about Pokémon?"

Immediately, Ash responded. "Of course I do! I love Pokémon." Ash then noticed the small Pokémon in N's arms. It was small and Ash could only see white. It looked like it was sleeping. Ash pulled out his Pokedex. "What's that Pokémon?"

 _Vanillite. The Fresh Snow Pokémon. Vanillite is an Ice Type Pokémon. Theoretically, this Pokémon formed from icicles bathed in energy from the morning sun. Their breath is -58 F._

Ash put away his Pokedex. "Wow, that's an awesome Pokémon."

N said nothing as the Vanillite started to stir. Vanillite looked up at N. "Vanill?"

N looked down at Vanillite. "Shh, go to sleep, friend. You need to sleep." Vanillite did just that and Ash watched, impressed.

"Wow N, you're really good with Pokémon." Ash then recalled his previous encounter with N. "So is it true? Can you really speak with Pokémon?"

"…I hear their voices. I understand their feelings. The hurt, the sadness."

Ash said nothing before looking at Pikachu. "You know, I can understand Pikachu." N looked up, surprised. "I don't know exactly what he says, but I can understand him."

Pikachu jumped back onto Ash's shoulder and let out a cry in agreement, saying it was the same way for him. "And he understands me as well." Ash turned back to N who regained his neutral expression. "I bet you don't hear sadness in Pikachu's voice."

"…No. I don't."

Ash grinned. "See? There's no need to separate people from Pokémon. Those Team Plasma guys are completely wrong on that."

N's eyes narrowed. "Ash, what do you wish for Pokémon? Do you wish for them to be happy?"

Ash suddenly was on guard. N was mysterious, and Ash had no idea what to expect. "Of course I want them to be happy!"

N said nothing. He started to walk away. Ash watched him walk away to his left and into the shadows. Ash saw a familiar pair of blue eyes stare at him before N disappeared completely. "Wait!" Ash ran in the direction N was heading in and ended up exiting the city and entering wetlands. Ash saw the pair of blue eyes and continued running, following the eyes.

Ash ran up some slopes and was now on top of a cliff, with N in front of him, still holding Vanillite. "What's the big idea N?" N was standing near the edge and overlooking a forest. The moon was still high in the sky and was behind N.

N turned around and suddenly three Pokémon jumped in front of him. Two were a Pidove and a Tympole. The other one was new to him and Ash pulled out his Pokedex.

 _Timburr. The Muscular Pokémon. Timburr is a Fighting-Type Pokémon._ _Always carrying squared logs, they help out with construction. As they grow, they carry bigger logs._

Ash put his Pokedex into his bag and N spoke. "I... want to see things no one can see. The truths of Pokémon inside Poké Balls. The ideals of how Trainers should be. And a future where Pokémon have become perfect... Do you feel the same, Ash?"

Ash blinked and looked at Pikachu then back at N. "I have no idea what you're talking about. 'Truth of Pokeballs?' 'Trainer's ideals?' That doesn't make sense. No one is the same."

N pulled down his cap. "I expected more from you. I wonder, are you able to see the future I can see? Allow me and my friends to test you."

"A battle? Right now?" N didn't respond and Ash looked at Pikachu who shrugged. Ash turned back to N and took one of his Pokeballs out of his bag.

"Let's make this a Triple Battle," N suddenly said.

Ash looked at N, confused. "A Triple Battle?"

"A battle using three Pokémon at once," N explained.

"Whoa, that sounds like a lot of fun!" Ash grabbed two more Pokeballs from his bag. He tossed them all up in the air and the three Unova starters appeared.

N observed the three starters. Snivy caught his attention. "Snivy, you appear to distrust humans. So you must share my feelings." Snivy didn't respond but just retained her stance. Ash also didn't say anything, already having suspecting that. "Shall we begin, then?"

Ash nodded and called out an attack. "Snivy, Leaf Tornado against the Tympole! Tepig, use Flame Charge against Timburr! Oshawott, use Water Gun against Pidove!"

"Razor Wind, Pidove. Bubblebeam, Tympole." N commanded. Pidove avoided Oshawott's Water Gun and fired two blades of wind straight at the Leaf Tornado and countered it. Tympole then stopped Tepig's Flame Charge with Bubblebeam, super effective and stopping Tepig's charge. "Now Timburr, hit Oshawott with your log." Timburr ran up to Oshawott, ready to smack Oshawott with the wooden log.

Ash was doing his best to keep up with everything happening. "Oshawott, fight back with Razor Shell!" Oshawott and Timburr were now fighting in close combat. "Tepig, get up and use Ember straight at Pidove! Snivy, Make sure Tympole doesn't get in the way and use Vine Whip!"

"Pidove, use gust at the Ember. Timburr, protect Tympole." Timburr knocked Oshawott's scalchop away and ran in front of Tympole, knocking the Vine Whip away. Pidove flapped its wings creating a gust of wind and blowing the Ember back and hitting Snivy.

"Oh no! Snivy!" Ash shouted as Snivy was struggling to stand up from the Ember. "Oshawott, defend Snivy and counter anything with Water Gun! Tepig, Flame Charge at Tympole!"

N seemed slightly surprised at the command but then recalled the battle back in Accumula Town and regained his composure quickly. "Tympole, Bubblebeam at Tepig once more. Pidove, Air Cutter at Oshawott and Timburr use Chip Away at Oshawott as well."

Tympole fired a spray of bubbles straight at the charging Tepig. "To the side!" Tepig avoided the Bubblebeam by dodging the attack and was able to land a direct hit against Tympole and was knocked out. However, by focusing solely on Tympole, Ash neglected N's other two Pokémon. Oshawott countered Pidove's Air Cutter with Water Gun but was struck down by Timburr's strikes. Ash returned Oshawott. "Thanks Oshawott. You did great."

N rubbed Tympole's head then looked back at the other Pokémon. "Finish Snivy. Air Cutter, Pidove. Wake-up Slap, Timburr."

Pidove fired wind slashes from the air towards Snivy and Timburr charged from the ground. "Tepig! Use Flame Charge at Timburr!" Tepig ran straight to Timburr with enhanced speed from the previous Flame Charge's. "Snivy, Leaf Tornado to counter Air Cutter!" Snivy was able to counter the Air Cutter with Leaf Tornado, but then Pidove appeared right in front of Snivy and hit her directly, body surrounded by streams of wind. "Snivy! That was Aerial Ace…"

Ash was going to return Snivy when an explosion caused Ash to turn towards Tepig who had charged into a rock. Meanwhile, N turned to Snivy, who was on the ground unable to stand. "Your trainer has failed you in this battle. Do you still want to stick with him?" Snivy got up and glared at N. The two stared at each other before N turned to Timburr who was hiding behind the rock Tepig crashed into. "Interesting. Very well. I looked forward to see your conclusion. Timburr, Rock Throw." Timburr picked up the rock it was hiding behind and threw it straight at Tepig.

Ash's eyes widened as Tepig was on the ground, unconscious. Ash returned both Snivy and Tepig to their Pokeballs. "Thank you both. You fought hard." Ash put the Pokeballs into his bag and let out a sigh before rubbing the back of his head. "Man, Triple Battles really are hectic. I really had a hard time keeping up with all that."

Ash looked towards N who crouched down to the three Pokémon. He handed each of the Pokémon an Oran Berry. "Thank you friends." The three Pokémon cheered and left.

N turned back to Ash. "Even though I was victorious, I still am not able to see the future. It appears the world is still to be determined."

Ash walked up to N. "I don't think anyone can see the future. Things can always change."

N looked thoughtful at Ash's words. "That is exactly what I plan to do. I plan on changing the world. But I need power to do so. Power enough to make anyone agree with me." N walked over to the edge of the cliff. "Now I know what power I need. Reshiram! The legendary Pokémon that, along with the hero, created the Unova Region! It's my turn to become that hero. And you and I will be friends!"

"Reshiram?" Ash echoed, the name completely unfamiliar to him. N turned around, ready to leave, when suddenly a large purple and black Pokémon appeared from behind them. "What's that Pokémon!?"

"Scolipede, did we disturb you?" N asked, approaching Scolipede. The Scolipede roared, making N step back. "Why can't I hear your voice? Scolipede!"

"N! Get away!" Ash shouted. Scolipede stomped the ground, resulting in the cliff part Ash was standing on to break. Ash and Pikachu screamed as they fell down into the forest.

"Ash!" N exclaimed running to the edge of the cliff, Ash now out of sight. N heard footsteps and turned around, seeing a familiar green-haired man. "Ghetsis! What is the meaning of this!?"

Ghetsis returned Scolipede into its Pokeball. "I am merely ridding a potential threat. You must never utter the name of the Legendary Dragon around anybody. Soon the Gym Leaders and Elite 4 will get curious and then they will become a hindrance in our plans."

N turned back to the cliff. "…I understand. But, what did you do to that Scolipede? I couldn't hear his voice."

Ghetsis just walked away, a small smile on his face. "I did nothing."

"…"

Ash was screaming as he and Pikachu were falling. Ash quickly grabbed a branch with one arm and Pikachu with his other arm. Ash was now holding onto a tree branch high above the ground. Ash used his strength and climbed up onto the tree. He and Pikachu looked down. "Man, we're really high up." Ash looked back up at the cliff. "I sure hope N is okay."

"Pikachu," Pikachu said, saying N will be fine.

"Yeah, he's really strong. He's only used wild Pokémon against us. I want to battle his Pokémon!" Ash fist pumped before figuring out a way to get down. "I wonder where we are. We can't be that far from Nacrene City. And even if we had Pidove with us, it's too dark for her to fly. Let's see, the cliff is right in front of us, so Nacrene City would be…that way! Let's go Pikachu!" Ash pointed in a direction and began.

Pikachu watched as Ash started to walk deeper into the forest. "Pika!"

Ash turned to Pikachu. "What's up Pikachu?" Pikachu ran off in another direction. "H-hey! Pikachu!" Ash ran off after Pikachu, jumping over branches and tree roots before finding his way back into Nacrene City.

* * *

"Stop resisting, Landorus." Cassidy of Team Rocket said, watching a large, orange, muscular Pokémon struggling inside a transparent box. The box was made of psychic power which prevented escape from any Pokémon. That didn't mean any Pokémon captured would not try and escape. Landorus continued to thrash about inside the box. "Bill! Hurry up and get Landorus to stop struggling."

Butch was typing on a laptop that connected to the cage. "It's Butch! And It's hard to torture a Pokémon that has two weaknesses but aren't necessarily harmful. Not to mention it's a Legendary Pokémon."

Cassidy approached the cage and entered a stare down with Landorus. "We can't proceed with our plans until you shut up and stop rebelling. So why don't you quiet down!?" Landorus responded by trying to tackle her but was unable to get out. "It's a good thing this Landorus is so pathetically weak compared to other Legendary Pokémon. If we were going up against a Kyogre or Dialga, we would be so screwed. Even a Celebi could probably break out of this cage."

Landorus this time fired a Hyper Beam but was blocked by the cage. "I see…by taunting it, you're causing it to exert all of its energy."

Cassidy nodded and smirked at Landorus who was panting and glaring. "You going to calm down now?" Landorus responded with another Hyper Beam, once again unable to actually affect the barrier. At this point the Landorus was completely exhausted. "Well Bobbery?"

Butch brought up another window. "It's Butch. Landorus has less than 15 percent of its energy. Those Hyper Beams along with its anger took a lot out of it."

"Good. So now we need to find Tornadus and Thundurus. As well as the Reveal Glass."

"Too bad we were somehow found out. Now the entire Police Force is extremely cautious. I wonder how they became aware of us. I would have thought we have been doing a good job concealing our presence," Cassidy said walking over to another laptop.

"I wonder if someone else found it." Cassidy continued typing on her laptop but Butch continued. "I mean, we were told Landorus was guarding it, but it's nowhere to be found."

"So you think someone may have gotten to it first? That's ridiculous! Don't you think Landorus would have noticed if someone waltzed up to it and took its precious Reveal Glass!?"

"That's what I thought was strange. So what if Landorus has a friend?"

Cassidy raised a brow. "That ugly mug has friends?"

Ignoring her quip, Butch continued. "And if that's the case, someone must have the Reveal Glass. The question is, who?"

"That's a pretty big question. Don't tell me we have to rob every single person in Unova. Ugh. Let's report this to the boss."

* * *

 **Not an interesting chapter, I know. But still important I guess. I don't really have anything to say this time. Well, I guess I could talk about how much brain farts I've had writing this chapter.**

 **Like, I somehow I mixed up hypothermia with pneumonia. I don't even know how…  
Then I finally realized why Black and White were called Black and White. My mind was blown.  
Then I accidentally put Serena's name once or twice because I was catching up with the Kalos series while writing this.**

 **And there's probably more but I don't remember.**

 **There's also probably a few errors here and there but oh well. Next chapter will probably be the Nacrene Gym.**

 **And this will probably be the last chapter for a while since school is starting back soon :/  
I'll try and get one more chapter up but no promises. **

**EDITS (08/31/15)  
Fixed some inconsistencies with this chapter (like Roggenrola being on the bed then magically on the floor, or Ash saying it was too dark to have Pidove scout even though he didn't have Pidove at the time).  
Fixed a typo (relie instead of relief).  
Added a quotation mark I forgot.  
Changed the wording from nobodies to anybody (Thank you Cottonmouth25).  
**


	12. A Normal Day

Hilda yawned as she woke up much later. She looked at the window next to her bed and saw the sun was already high in the sky. The door opened and Hilda saw two doctors enter her room.

"Ah you're awake," the doctor said before looking at his clipboard. "You're going to be fine but just to be sure, we're going to have you stay for another night." Hilda nodded and the doctors left after explaining some health stuff that she didn't really understand and Hilda was alone once more.

Suddenly extremely bored, Hilda looked outside her window once more. Judging how she could see the top of some trees, she deduced that she was on a higher floor.

…

"Soooo _bored!_ " Hilda put her hands on her face before feeling a familiar warmth. She immediately raised her head and looked at her hands. They were warm for some reason and she could feel her face also heating up. "Please don't tell me I'm still sick…"

Just then the door swung open, startling Hilda. She looked towards the door and saw a familiar green beret. "Hilda!"

Hilda regained her composure as Bianca raced over to her bed and hugged her. "Honestly. You barge in without knocking. What if she was still asleep?" Hilda looked over Bianca's shoulder and saw Cheren walk over to them.

Bianca turned to Cheren and gave him a glare. "Well she's awake so you can't say 'what if'!"

Cheren only shook his head. "I can say that because she very well could have been woken up thanks to you."

Hilda smiled as her two childhood friends bantered like always. It felt like she was a kid back in Nuvema Town, just hanging out without a care in the world.

Cheren sighed and turned to Hilda. "So how are you feeling?" Bianca turned to Hilda and blinked, as if she forgot Hilda was even there. Hilda laughed, as that would happen so often when they were kids.

"I'm just fine Cheren. I really want to get out of here though," Hilda sighed.

Cheren spoke after a minute of silence. "You've changed you know," Hilda looked at him curiously. "You used to be quiet and patient."

Hilda wondered if she had really changed. She did find herself getting a little hyperactive at times and she definitely likes talking to others much more. She gave Cheren a smile as well. "You've changed too, you know."

"Hm? I don't think so."

"I agree with Cheren. He's the same as always, still so boring and stupidly smart," Bianca stated and soon another argument was in place. Hilda laughed before wondering if it was too early to be making that judgement.

"Anyways, where's Ash?" Hilda asked. She had expected him to be with them.

The two looked at each other before looking back at Hilda. "He wasn't in his room when I went to check on him this morning so I assumed he was already here," Cheren said.

Hilda furrowed her brow, wondering where her friend was. She was about to tell them of his late night visit but decided against it. "Well he didn't come visit."

"And he wasn't at the gym either," Bianca said, crossing her arms.

Hilda looked at Bianca surprised. "Gym?"

Her two rivals nodded, both pulling out their badge case and opening it. Inside were two badges. The Trio Badge and a purple rectangle badge. "We already defeated the Nacrene City Gym Leader and got our badges. We didn't see Ash there."

Hilda was still shocked. Her friends had already gotten their second badge in just one morning. "Wow. You guys are incredible!"

Bianca's smile widened at the praise while Cheren merely pushed up his glasses. "Not necessarily. We won using only basic strategies."

"Speak for yourself! That fight was difficult!" Bianca exclaimed.

"Um, so what Pokémon does the Gym Leader use?" Hilda asked, hoping to gather some information.

Before Cheren could speak, Bianca spoke. "You'll have to find out for yourself! It's more fun when you have no idea what to expect!"

Cheren turned to Bianca and raised a brow. "It would be advantageous if she knew what she was up against. I don't see any reason not to tell her."

Before Bianca could say something, Hilda intervened. "Don't worry Cheren! I'll be just fine. I was able to defeat you after all."

Cheren pushed his glasses up. "I've gotten much stronger in the short time since our battle. But I won't doubt your skills."

Hilda grinned and nodded. "Exactly! And I'm only going to get stronger!"

"Good. I suppose we should find Ash then," Cheren said, turning to Bianca.

Bianca nodded and the two left Hilda, who immediately became bored once again.

"So…where do you think Ash is?" Bianca asked as she and Cheren exited the hospital.

"His door was unlocked and empty, implying he either left early or never returned."

"Never returned? But didn't you deliver the wild Roggenrola to his room?" Bianca asked and Cheren nodded.

"He must have left early. But where could he be if Hilda didn't know?"

"Cheren! Bianca!" Cheren and Bianca turned around and to their surprise they saw Ash and Pikachu run towards them. "Hey guys, were you just visiting Hilda?"

"Yes. But where were you? You weren't in your room this morning and you didn't come to visit Hilda." Cheren stated.

Ash sweat dropped at Cheren's expression and turned to Bianca, who just sighed. "Uh, I gave Hilda's Pokémon to Nurse Joy, then I went to get something to eat. Let's just say I had a long night."

"Hm, I see." Cheren pushed his glasses up. "So what is your plan for today?"

Ash furrowed his brows and put a hand to his chin. Before he could speak, Bianca spoke. "Why don't you go and have some battles at the Battle Club?"

Ash's eyes lit up for a second at Bianca's suggestion. "That sounds great! Some training would be good before our gym battle, huh Pikachu?" Pikachu nodded in agreement.

"Great! We'll show you the way!" Bianca exclaimed and the three headed off towards the Battle Club. "Here we are!" Bianca exclaimed, stretching her arms in front of the entrance.

Ash looked up, noticing that it looked exactly like the Battle Club in Accumula Town. "Heh, just like the Pokémon Centers." Entering, the three saw a familiar face. "Yep. Definitely like a Pokémon Center." Pikachu agreed as they approached the front counter and the man behind it, Don George.

"Well if it isn't Cheren and Bianca! Good to see you two back for some more battlin'! Oh? And who's this?"

"Hi, I'm Ash from Kanto and this is my partner Pikachu."

Don George looked at the two of them, interested. "Well met Ash. I'm Don George, head of this 'ere Battle Club. And Pikachu. I hope you're as strong as you look."

Ash responded with a fist pump. "You know it! We've been in more battles than I can count!"

"I guess that means you can't count."

"Huh?" They all turned to the side and saw a brunette with an orange sweater and a teal-coloured digital camera around his neck. The boy approached Ash and started taking pictures of Ash's Pikachu. "Um, what are you doing?"

The boy eventually stopped and took a step back. "Taking some pictures. What else?"

Don George laughed. "Ash, Bianca, Cheren. This is Trip. A new trainer, but extremely talented. He takes pictures of Pokémon he encounters for the memories."

"Really? That's pretty cool. Nice to meet you Trip," Ash said.

"Hmph. Likewise." Was all Trip said before turning to Don George. "Thanks for letting me train some more Don George. I'll be heading to Castellia now."

Don George nodded. "Be safe. It's quite a journey."

"Wait! How about a battle? You sound like you're strong."

"Please. I don't have time to face someone from the boonies."

Ash blinked as the insult just flew over his head. But he still recognized the tone nonetheless. "What'd you say!?"

"There's no point in battling someone who is from the middle of nowhere," Trip said before walking past Ash and heading to the exit.

Bianca decided to enter the conversation. "Wait! When someone challenges you to a battle you can't just say no!"

Trip only gave Bianca an even stare before turning to Ash. "Fine. How many badges do you have?"

Ash was surprised by the question. "Huh? Just one, why?"

Trip made an expression, one resembling disgust. "What? Only one? Never mind. You are not even worth my time."

"What!?" Ash exclaimed. "Then how many do you have?"

"I have two. More than you."

"What!? You only have one more than me! That doesn't mean anything!" Ash exclaimed, Pikachu also shouting.

"It means that I am stronger than you. Get another badge and we'll see. Though by the time you get another badge, I probably will have four." Trip put his hands in his pockets and continuing to head to the exit, leaving Ash enraged but he quickly calmed down.

"Hold it." Cheren decided to finally speak. "You talk tough, but you only have two badges. You're still a novice, just like me. So I would like to challenge you myself."

"What did you say? I may only have two badges, but I'm a lot stronger than you think. I'm what they would call a prodigy."

"Trip's got that right." They all turned to Don George who was in front of one of the PC's. They walked over to him and looked over his shoulder. "This 'eres a record of every trainer's battle results here in Unova."

"Really? You can track that?" Ash asked surprised.

Don George nodded. "Yup. All you need to do is register a Xtransceiver with the Unova Battle Network. Then every time you enter a battle, you select IR on the interface and you will then enter the information of the battle, such as how many Pokémon you're using and if it's a Single Battle, Double Battle, etc."

Ash raised his left arm and looked at his Xtransceiver. "Wow, Unova is incredible." Trip saw this and rolled his eyes.

Don George clicked some keys and soon Trip's portrait was on screen. "Here it shows Trip's recorded information. 24 to 1 is his win-loss ratio."

Ash and Bianca's eyes widened at that while Cheren's expression remained neutral. "Wow, that's pretty crazy, don't you think Cheren?" Bianca said, turning to Cheren.

"Hmph. It's impressive, sure. But that doesn't mean you can just talk down to a trainer." Cheren turned back to Trip. "So do you accept my challenge or not?"

Trip and Cheren stared evenly for a minute before Trip shrugged. "Whatever. I hope you realize what you're getting into." Cheren nodded and they were all off to the battlefield. Ash and Bianca headed over to the side while Cheren and Trip went to their respective sides. "We're going to record this match."

Cheren nodded and they both inputted the proper information on their Xtransceiver's. "How's a three-on-three match sound?" Cheren asked.

"Whatever, won't change the outcome," Trip replied, finishing inputting the information.

Don George approached the referee box. "This will be a three-on-three battle between Trip and Cheren. Let the battle begin!"

Cheren realized that Trip was waiting for him to send out a Pokémon. "Pidove." Cheren sent out his Pidove.

The Pokémon made Trip frown. "A Pidove? Are you kidding me? Let's go Frillish!" Out of Trip's Pokeball appeared a blue jellyfish-like Pokémon. In unison, Cheren and Ash pulled out their Pokedex.

 _Frillish. The Floating Pokémon. Frillish is a Water and Ghost Type Pokémon. They paralyze prey with poison, then drag them down to their lairs, five miles below the surface._

Bianca shivered at the entry. "That's a creepy Pokémon. Do you think Cheren can beat it?" Bianca asked Ash.

"Of course he will. This is Cheren we're talking about!" Ash exclaimed with certainty.

Bianca laughed before turning back to the battlefield. "Yeah, you're right. Cheren was always one to get things right. No matter what."

Back on the battlefield, Cheren put away his Pokedex. "Let's begin with Air Cutter, Pidove."

"Protect!" A barrier surrounded Frillish and the blades of wind from Air Cutter were not effective. "Now, Water Pulse." Creating a ball of water, Frillish counterattacked by shooting the ball of water and hitting Pidove directly.

Pidove dodged instinctively, with no command. "Air Cutter." Pidove immediately used Air Cutter and landed a direct hit against Frillish.

Frillish was sent flying by the attack, surprising Trip. "How can that have done so much damage…!? Frillish! Use Water Pulse!"

At the side, Bianca tilted her head and crossed her arms. "How come they keep using the same attack?"

Ash turned to her and showed her his Pokedex. "Frillish is a Ghost Type, so normal type attacks can't effect Ghost Type Pokémon. It's the same the other way around. Ghost attacks can't hurt normal type Pokémon."

"Great, am I going to have to remember all of this complicated stuff?" Bianca complained before looking defeated.

Ash only sweat dropped. "Don't worry, soon it will be second nature to know your types." The two turned back to the battlefield where the two Pokémon keep trading attacks. Every now and then Frillish would use Protect, but would occasionally get hit. Pidove on the other hand had no problem avoiding Frillish's attack and it wasn't before long where Frillish collapsed.

"Frillish is unable to battle! Pidove wins!" Don George called out.

Trip returned his Frillish and looked over at Cheren. "Not bad. But your Pidove won't stand a chance against-"

Trip was interrupted by Pidove, who let out a cry before glowing.

Bianca stood up and her eyes widened. "What's happening to Pidove!?"

Ash also stood up but grinned. "Pidove's evolving!"

Everyone watched in anticipation as Pidove transformed and grew. Soon a new, much taller light-gray bird was in Pidove's place. Ash and Cheren pulled out their Pokedex.

 _Tranquill. The Wild Pigeon Pokémon. Tranquill is a Normal and Flying Type Pokémon. Many people believe that, deep in the forest where Tranquill live, there is a peaceful place where there is no war._

Bianca clapped her hands. "That's great Cheren!"

Cheren let out a small smirk as he stared at Trip's shocked expression. "You were saying?"

Trip quickly regained composure and tossed a Pokeball in the air. "I was saying, your Tranquill won't stand a chance against my Tranquill." Trip's own Tranquill appeared on the battlefield, letting out a loud cry.

"We'll just see about that. Tranquill, Air Cutter," Cheren commanded. Tranquill summoned razorlike winds at Trip's Tranquill, the Air Cutter obviously much stronger than it was when Tranquill was a Pidove.

"That's not going to do much, Double Team!" Trip's Tranquill suddenly multiplied, the Air Cutter hitting a fake. "Air Cutter!"

The many Tranquill's fired Air Cutters at Cheren's Tranquill. "Only one is real, so use your new move, Detect!" Cheren's Tranquill immediately avoided the real Air Cutter. Analyzing the angle of the Air Cutter that Tranquill avoided, Cheren called out his next attack. "Quick Attack at the Tranquill to your left and above." Tranquill flew with white light around it, hitting Trip's Tranquill directly.

Ash watched in amazement. Sure, compared to tournaments this wasn't outstanding but these were trainers with _two badges._ Just two. Ash knew for sure that he wasn't as impressive when he obtained his second badge.

 _Speaking of which, one day I will earn my keep for that badge. And many others._

"Work Up Tranquill!" Trip called out, and his Tranquill glowed, powering up.

"While he's vulnerable, strike with a final Air Cutter!" Using the opening, Cheren's Tranquill released some more razorlike winds and they hit Trip's Tranquill directly, sending him to the ground, unconscious.

"Tranquill is unable to battle! Tranquill wins! … Um, Cheren's Tranquill wins!" Don George called out.

Trip looked shocked by the outcome and returned his Tranquill. "How? Your Pidove just evolved!"

Cheren glanced at Ash. "You need to know when to use the right moves and take any opportunity given."

"…Hmph. I'll keep that in mind. I hate to do this, but I forfeit."

Both Ash and Bianca stood up from the side bench and shouted "What!?"

"My last Pokémon is Servine, who is weak against Tranquill. Servine would lose that battle. That's basic knowledge."

Ash shook his head. "Just because a Pokémon has a disadvantage in type doesn't mean that it can't win!"

Trip ignored Ash and started to leave. Before he left, he turned to Cheren. "You're not half bad. I expect a rematch."

Cheren returned his Tranquill and nodded. "Of course."

When Trip left, Bianca immediately glared at the door. "He's a real jerk, huh guys?"

"I wouldn't judge him. He's a strong trainer." Bianca turned to Cheren and sighed.

Ash just continued to stare at where Trip left. "I am definitely going to battle him the next time we meet! And to do that, I need my gym badge!" With that, Ash ran outside of the Battle Club and raced towards the gym.

Of course, without a map he had no idea where he was going.

"I forgot to ask Cheren and Bianca where the gym is… Um, excuse me!" Ash called out to a young girl. "Do you happen to know where the gym is?"

"Hm? You must be new. All right, I'll tell you, if you battle me." The young girl said, grabbing one of her Pokeballs and holding it out.

Ash was surprised at first but quickly grinned. "Fine by me! I'll consider this as a warmup!"

"A warmup? How insulting. A one-on-one battle then?"

"Works for me!" Ash then realized he had no idea who he was about to battle. "Oh yeah! What's your name?"

"I can tell you aren't too popular with the ladies judging by your attitude. But I'm Dye." Dye tilted her head. "What's your name?"

"I'm Ash, from Kanto. This is my partner Pikachu. Now let's get started!" After watching Cheren battle Trip, Ash was psyched for some battles.

"From Kanto? That's far. Well I won't disappoint then, go Petilil!" Out from Dye's Pokeball appeared a green plant bulb Pokémon. Ash pulled out his Pokedex.

 _Petilil. The Bulb Pokémon. Petilil is a Grass Type Pokémon. Since they prefer moist, nutrient-rich soil, the areas where Petilil live are known to be good for growing plants._

"A Grass Type huh? Then Tepig…" Ash gripped Tepig's Pokeball before remembering Trip's words.

 _"My last Pokémon is Servine, who is weak against Tranquill. Servine would lose that battle. That's basic knowledge."_

Ash tossed a Pokeball and out appeared Oshawott. "An Oshawott? You shouldn't underestimate me."

Ash however didn't hear what she said. _"I'll show Trip! No matter the battle, no matter the circumstances, any Pokémon can win!"_

"Hmph, if you won't make the first move, then allow me! Magical Leaf, Petilil!" Dye commanded. A barrage of glowing leaves appeared from Petilil's head and headed straight towards Oshawott.

"Oshawott, deflect each leaf with Fury Cutter!" Oshawott's scalchop glowed white and grew into a razor. Oshawott began deflecting the magical leaves, but was unable to deflect every single one and eventually took some damage. "Oshawott! Use Tackle!"

Oshawott charged and delivered a direct Tackle attack. "Petilil! Pay them back with Mega Drain!"

"Don't let it hit you Oshawott!" Petilil sent a green orb towards Oshawott who had started to run away in order to avoid the attack, and succeeded. "Great Oshawott! Now counterattack with Fury Cutter!"

Gripping his scalchop, Oshawott delivered a fierce blow against Petilil, knocking it back. "Don't give up Petilil! Magical Leaf!"

Glowing leaves once again were being shot straight towards Oshawott who started to run. The leaves continued following Oshawott however. "Oshawott! Magical Leaf will never miss! So deflect them once more!"

Oshawott nodded and once again used his scalchop to deflect the leaves. Dye snapped her fingers. "Checkmate. Leech Seed now!" Petilil spat a seed that landed on Oshawott's forehead. Before they knew it, Oshawott was wrapped around by vines. "Mega Drain!"

"We have to finish this quickly. Oshawott! Another Fury Cutter!" Oshawott ran up to Petilil, avoiding the Mega Drain, and slashed Petilil. Shortly after, both Pokémon glowed; Oshawott enduring pain and Petilil looking refreshed. "That leech seed…"

"Now that you're so close, Magical Leaf!"

"Let's try and save energy. Oshawott! Use Water Gun instead!" Oshawott shot a torrent of water which collided with the leaves, making an explosion. Out from the dust cloud, Oshawott appeared and slashed Petilil with another Fury Cutter.

"Once more Petilil! Magical Leaf!" Weakly, Petilil managed to hit Oshawott with a Magical Leaf attack, and at this point both Pokémon were exhausted.

"Let's get the last blow Oshawott! Fury Cutter!"

"Don't let them Petilil! Mega Drain!" It was too late for Petilil as Oshawott delivered the final blow first. But almost immediately after, Oshawott collapsed along with Petilil. Both Ash and Dye ran towards their Pokémon.

"Oshawott! Thanks buddy. You did great. Take a good rest." Ash returned Oshawott to his Pokeball and stood up, watching as Dye returned her Petilil. Ash also noticed the amount of cheering around him and noticed that they gathered quite a crowd. Dye then walked over to Ash and extended her hand.

"That was a good battle. Your Oshawott was really strong. I guess I was the one who underestimated you."

Ash shook her hand. "Thanks. Your Petilil is really strong."

Dye gave Ash a grin. "Of course she is! But the next time we meet, it won't end in a draw!"

Ash responded with a grin of his own. "It won't, I promise you that!"

"I guess I should keep my part of the bargain. The gym is to the north, that way." Dye pointed in a direction and Ash nodded. "Well I'll be going now. Bye Ash!"

Ash waved her goodbye before turning to Pikachu. "That was dumb, huh? I let my emotions get the better of me, again." Ash sighed before sitting down on the ground. "If Brock was here, he'd probably give me some words of wisdom. Like…"

"Types may not mean everything in a battle, but if handled incorrectly there will be consequences."

Ash nodded. "Yeah something like that…Huh?" Ash noticed that he was enveloped in a shadow. He turned his head and saw a woman significantly taller than him. He stood up and rubbed the back of his head. "Um, who are you?"

The woman in question had long teal hair with a striped headband, a white shirt, teal pants, and was holding an apron behind her shoulder. "Lenora. I'm the director of the Nacrene Museum. I'll admit, I was observing your battle with that girl and you've proven to care deeply for your Oshawott. I suggest you take on the city's gym."

"That was my plan. Once I heal Oshawott, anyways."

Lenora smirked. "Good. I hope you bring that energy with you into the gym."

Ash fist pumped. "I'm always psyched for a battle! Especially against a Gym Leader!" And with that, Ash ran off towards the Pokémon Center. Lenora laughed before turning around, heading back to the museum.

* * *

"Welcome to the Nacrene Museum!" Ash blinked as a skinny man with glasses greeted him. "My name is Hawes, the assistant director!"

"Uh," Ash turned to Pikachu then back to Hawes. "I think I'm in the wrong place…"

"Oh don't leave now! Since you were kind enough to visit, how about a tour? We have many fossils and artifacts that may interest a Pokémon Trainer like you."

Ash furrowed his brow. "That sounds so cool…but I want to battle the Gym Leader as soon as I can. What do you think, Pikachu?" Pikachu gave Ash a nod and cheer and Ash nodded in return. "All right. We'll take you up on the offer Mr. Hawes."

Hawes clapped his hands. "Wonderful! Let's be on our way now!" The two then started to walk forward, beginning the tour. "By the way, I never caught your name."

"Ash. Ash Ketchum from Kanto. And this is my partner Pikachu." Ash introduced.

Hawes nodded. "Nice to meet you Ash. I heard about that battle you had. I hear you battled quite impressively."

Ash rubbed the back of his head. "Haha, thanks."

Hawes stopped and turned to a lady who was sitting behind a counter. "This is where we restore fossils found around Unova into Pokémon. It's quite impressive. Should you ever find any fossils, I hope you bring them here for us to revitalize."

Ash nodded and turned to Pikachu. "Another fossil revitalization machine, huh?"

"Up ahead is out museum's pride and joy. Please, stare in awe at the sight of a legendary dragon!" Hawes exclaimed, arms outstretched as he stood in front of a giant Pokémon skeleton.

Ash and Pikachu's mouths did indeed drop as they stared at the giant structure of bones in front of them. "…Wow."

"Impressive isn't it? This skeleton is the very pride and joy of our museum! We've worked ourselves to the bone to complete it. I still remember the expression on my wife's face and how happy she was…" Hawes stopped and laughed. "Sorry, I got a little distracted. Let's continue the tour, shall we?"

Ash nodded and they continued, passing by various artifacts. "This here is a Fossil of a Pokémon that through analysis we learned had a very hard shell." Ash and Pikachu looked closely at the design on the hunk of rock and made out that it was an Armaldo.

They continued and passed by a meteorite, an odd and random white stone, a mask, some plates carved with unknown scripts, a mask, and some bones. "These bones we theorize used to be carried around as weapons by certain Pokémon." Ash nodded, already having a good idea of which Pokémon. Ash followed Hawes as they walked up some stairs and a large door was in front of them.

"This is the museum's library. Coincidentally, this also happens to be the Nacrene City Gym." Hawes said. Ash took a moment to let that register.

"Wait, this is the gym!?" Before Hawes could answer, Ash turned to Pikachu. "Let's get our second Unova Gym Badge!" Ash ran straight into the library leaving Hawes alone.

"Full of energy, she wasn't kidding."

Ash stepped into the new room and his eyes widened in wonder as he stared at the amount of books around him. Shelves as tall as the ceiling surrounded him, each containing books dusty or new. There were 6 bookshelves in the middle of the room. "This is the gym?" Ash walked over to the pedestal with the gym symbol. There was a note on it.

"Welcome new challengers to the Nacrene City Gym! Here we will test your patience, memory, and knowledge. To reach the gym leader you must find the switch that opens the way to the basement. The switch is a book. To make things easier, I have placed hints in the 6 main bookshelves in the middle of the room. Here is the first hint. 'What type is Normal weak against?'"

"Fighting." Ash answered aloud before looking towards the 6 bookshelves. He frowned. "I have to go through all of these? Man I wish Hilda was here right now." Ash noticed that there were stepladders in front of certain books.

Ash climbed up one and opened a book that was marked with a red symbol. "The Biology of Tepig." Ash blinked before putting the book back. He got down and walked over to another stepladder. Before he climbed it, Pikachu called him over to the side of the bookshelf. "What's up Pikachu?"

Ash looked at the side of the bookshelf and there was something written on it. "'Details on Pokémon.' Guess type advantages wouldn't be here, huh?" Ash walked over to another bookshelf. "'Pokémon History.' Not here either. Third time's the charm. 'Basic Knowledge.' Here we go!"

Ash climbed up the stepladder for this specific bookshelf and took the book. "Pokémon Types Part 1. Pokémon Types seem to evolve over time. Classifications are given the more diverse Pokémon become. For example, Steelix in the past was considered a Rock and Ground type before it was given the classification of the Steel type…blah, blah, blah, all Pokémon were considered to be Normal types at one point. However it was noted that some Pokémon took more damage from a punch from a Machoke. This was the first noted Super Effective attack and the Fighting type was established…blah, blah, blah…"

Ash flipped the page and a piece of paper fell out. Ash picked it up and read it. "Congratulations you found the first answer! Normal type Pokémon only have one weakness: Fighting! Next question: Flames burns inside its body and it gives off smoke from its head while it runs."

Ash put the note back into the book and put the book back. "This book should have been in the history section. Anyways, sounds like Tepig doesn't it? I picked up a book called The Biology of Tepig earlier." Ash went back to the first bookshelf he came across and grabbed the book. He decided to skip reading and just flip through the pages until a note fell out.

"Congratulations you found the second answer! Tepig are known for breathing fire and smoke through their nose because of the fire that burns inside them. Next question: Alone or with friends, cooking these with berries is a blast."

"Uh, any ideas Pikachu?" Pikachu put a paw under his chin before coming to a realization. Pikachu gestured to Ash by eating an imaginary oval. Ash understood after a few seconds. "Poffins! Nice one Pikachu!" Ash started to look for the Geography and Culture section. He eventually found the book. "Cooking in Sinnoh." Once again Ash just flipped through the book until a note fell out.

"Congratulations you found the third answer! Poffins are a famous delicacy in the Sinnoh Region. It is said that depending on the poffin, your Pokémon may end up being more smart, beautiful, cool, cute, or tough! Next question: Pokémon live alongside humans. Humans have been able to capture Pokémon and fight by their side. What are they called?"

Ash blinked. "A Pokémon Trainer?" Ash searched and found a bookshelf dedicated to famous Pokémon Trainers. He saw some familiar names such as Drake from the Orange Islands, Lance from Johto, Wallace from Hoenn, Brandon from the Battle Frontier, and Cynthia from Sinnoh. Ash grabbed the book that was marked called 'The Wandering Champion: Alder.' Again, a note fell out while Ash flipped through the book. Ash opened it and read it.

"Congratulations you found the fourth answer! For as long as we know, Pokemon and Humans have co-existed side by side. They even say it was the Pokémon who approached the humans. Next riddle: Go down 1 bookshelf, 1 left, 2 up, 1 right, and 1 down."

While Ash read the riddle, Pikachu had already started running to each bookshelf. Pikachu found himself one bookshelf up from the one Ash was at. "Could've just said one up," Ash mumbled before climbing the stepladder. He grabbed the marked book but this one didn't come out. Instead Ash heard a click before rumbling. Ash fell off the stepladder and watched as the bookshelf moved slowly to the right, revealing a hidden staircase.

Getting up and adjusting his hat, Ash turned to Pikachu who jumped back on his shoulder and grinned. "Now that was cool. Unova has some really neat Gyms."

Ash walked down into the gym and entered a battlefield similar to the one in the Striaton Gym. Only this was not only a battlefield but an office of sorts.

"Welcome, Ash. For being such an impatient trainer, you were surprisingly quick to solve our test of patience, memory, and knowledge." Ash grinned at the voice of the person at the other side of the battlefield in the Gym Leader box, who happened to be the tall lady from earlier: Lenora.

"I had a feeling you were the Gym Leader once I found out the museum was the Gym!" Ash said, walking over to the trainer box. He looked to the side and noticed there wasn't a referee.

"We don't need a referee at my Gym. I like to test all of a trainer's Pokémon. So it will be a two on six battle, all right?" Lenora explained.

Ash frowned. Never had he heard of such rules in an official match. But this was Lenora's Gym and her way of battling so who was he to question it. "All right, but I'm going to try my best to defeat you with just two Pokémon!"

Lenora raised a brow and smirked. "Very well. Shall we begin?" Lenora immediately tossed a Pokeball into the air and out appeared a Herdier.

Ash realized he wasn't as prepared as he thought. He had no idea what type of Gym this was, though he now assumes it's Normal, and he never got a chance to properly train some of his Pokémon. "I wanted to use Munna but…" Ash gripped a Pokeball and tossed it into the air, revealing Snivy. "Snivy, let's do this!" Snivy nodded and the battle begun.

"Let's begin with Leer!" Herdier's eyes sharpened and glared at Snivy who took a step back, slightly intimidated.

"Don't let it get to you Snivy! Use Attract!" Snivy jumped into the air and winked. Hearts appeared around Snivy and floated towards Herdier. They made contact with Herdier but there was no effect. Ash gritted his teeth. "So her Herdier is a female then."

"If you're finished playing around, Herdier! Bite!" Lenora commanded. Herdier dashed towards Snivy at an incredible pace with its sharp fangs showing.

"Snivy! Don't let it come near! Use Leaf Tornado!" Snivy conjured up a Leaf Tornado and shot it straight at Herdier to counter it.

Lenora simply crossed her arms and smirked. "Don't let a pile of leaves stop you. Jump." Still baring its fangs, Herdier jumped into the Leaf Tornado, sustaining some damage, and used the tornado to gain a boost in speed and delivered a tackle at Snivy. Before Snivy could recover, Herdier bit her tail with Bite and tossed her across the battlefield.

"Snivy!" Ash shouted, clenching his fists. He glanced back at Lenora who was smirking, as if that was nothing. Ash saw Snivy got up and Herdier started to charge at her once again. "Snivy, use Vine Whip to stop it!"

Two vines appeared from Snivy's neck and shot out towards the incoming Herdier. "Dodge now Herdier!" Herdier managed to avoid both vines and neared Snivy.

Ash reacted quickly. "Use Vine Whip to dodge!" Snivy used the vines to launch herself into the air to the other side of the battlefield. Ash let out a breath of relief before thinking. The battlefield was plain. Plain with only dirt. Nothing to use for an advantage. He simply had to rely on force and strategy.

Ash smirked. The last time he battled on such a battlefield was against Paul, and just the thought made Ash excited. "I've gotta use that experience. I can't let Paul down."

Lenora only raised a brow. "You know how to manoeuver across the battlefield. Impressive for a beginner." Ash only laughed. "Or perhaps I'm mistaken. Herdier, Take Down." Herdier charged straight towards Snivy.

"Directly above, Vine Whip!" Ash exclaimed. Snivy glanced at Ash, slightly confused before obeying. Snivy once again launched herself into the air.

"Jump Herdier," Lenora called out and Herdier gave chase by taking a large leap, intending on meeting Snivy in the air.

"Leaf Blade!" Ash shouted with a grin. Snivy's tail glowed before striking the incoming Herdier directly on the head, sending it straight into the ground with a powerful force.

Lenora was stunned at the sudden power Snivy gained. Realizing Herdier wasn't going to get up, she returned her. "Well done. Have a break. I must say Ash, you're a lot stronger than I thought."

Ash rubbed the back of his head. "I only caught her recently but she packs some mean punches."

Lenora gripped her other Pokeball and smirked. "Oh no, I meant you. For having only one badge, you're quite the trainer. Keep this up and you may end up in a book in my library."

Ash grinned. "I'll be in more than one book!"

"Hmph. It's always nice to see such young promising trainers. Watchog, let's begin!" Out from Lenora's Pokeball was a new one to Ash. Out appeared a decently tall reddish brown meerkat-like Pokémon with large cheeks and yellow striping on its chest and tail. Ash pulled out his Pokedex.

 _Watchog. The Lookout Pokémon. Watchog is a Normal Type Pokémon. When they see an enemy, their tails stand high, and they spit the seeds of berries stored in their cheek pouches._

Ash looked up when Lenora spoke. "Watchog, it's up to you. Herdier fought well." Watchog nodded and turned towards Ash and Snivy and glared. Ash and Snivy both gulped at the angry look Watchog gave them. "Are you ready?"

Ash and Snivy both composed themselves. "Of course!"

"Good, because this will be over in one second."

"What?"

"Retaliate."

Before Ash and Snivy knew it, Watchog delivered an incredible blow with its tail and sent Snivy into the wall, knocking it out. Ash whipped his head to where Snivy was. "Snivy!" Ash returned her and looked at her Pokeball. "Thanks. You were just incredible." Ash put Snivy's Pokeball away and looked back at Lenora, who smirked.

"Surprised? Retaliate is a move that does more damage if another Pokémon fainted just before it was used," Lenora explained.

Ash gritted his teeth, never have hearing about the move before. But he smiled nonetheless. It was exciting to keep learning more about Pokémon. And it seems he'll have to be on his guard at all times in Unova. Pikachu seemed to know what Ash was thinking and pounded his chest, eager to go. Ash shook his head. "Sorry Pikachu, but you had your spotlight last time. I choose you, Oshawott!" Ash's trusty otter Pokémon appeared, ready for battle.

Until he saw his opponent and ran behind Ash's legs.

"Huh? Come on Oshawott! This is your battle!" Oshawott responded by shaking his head and pointed to Pikachu. Ash shook his own head. "This is a battle only you can do. I know you can do this! So come on!"

Oshawott looked at Ash, than Watchog, before gulping and giving Ash a firm nod. Oshawott stepped forth and tapped his scalchop.

"Let's do this Oshawott! Water Gun!" Oshawott shot a blast of water and hit Watchog directly in the chest.

"Hypnosis." Ash looked at Watchog surprised as Watchog's eyes glowed and psychic rays appeared, heading towards Oshawott.

"Oshawott dodge right now!" Oshawott wasn't able to dodge, and was hit by the attack. Oshawott fought hard to keep his eyes open but eventually fell asleep on the ground. "Oshawott! Wake up!"

"Give him a wakeup call. Crunch." Watchog's fangs sharpened and started to run over to where Oshawott laid.

"Oshawott! Wake up!" It was no use and Watchog bit Oshawott. However, Watchog recoiled slightly and Oshawott woke up in pain. Both Ash and Lenora noticed Watchog's slight recoil and both noted Watchog must have bitten Oshawott's scalchop. But right now, Ash wanted to make distance between Watchog and Oshawott. "Water Gun!"

Through the pain, Oshawott fired a Water Gun straight at Watchog, pushing Watchog back and creating some distance between the two.

"Watchog, how are you doing?" Lenora asked and Watchog nodded. "Good. Hypnosis once again."

"Dodge it Oshawott!" Oshawott immediately started running away but it was no use and Oshawott fell asleep under the hypnosis once again. "No! Oshawott!"

"Crunch once more!" It was a repeat of before, but this time Watchog made sure to avoid biting Oshawott's scalchop.

When Oshawott awoke, Ash decided to call a direct attack instead. "Razor Shell!" Gripping his scalchop, Oshawott slashed at Watchog, making it stumble back. Oshawott delivered another slash but Lenora had a countermeasure.

"Crunch that scalchop." Ash's eyes widened as Watchog bit the Razor Shell and pulled it out of Oshawott's grip. Watchog then tossed it behind him. "Now Crunch that Oshawott!" With nothing stopping it, Watchog crunched down on Oshawott's body, making Oshawott scream in agony and Ash cringed, thinking of ways to get out of the situation.

"Get it off you Oshawott! Water Gun!" Oshawott however was unable to aim the Water Gun at Watchog due to their positions and size.

"Toss it," Lenora commanded and Watchog did just that, tossing Oshawott into the wall of the battlefield.

"Oshawott! Are you all right?" Ash asked as Oshawott struggled to get up. Ash bit his lip, thinking whether or not he should return Oshawott. "Do you want to forfeit Oshawott?"

At the word forfeit, Oshawott immediately stood up, tall and proud, and shook his head. Ash grinned. "That's the spirit. Let's win this." Oshawott nodded and ran back in front of Ash. Ash noticed Watchog was indeed tired and the Water Gun's and Razor Shell had to have made some impact.

"Your Oshawott has a lot of endurance, I'm impressed. This was enjoyable, but it needs to end. Use Hypnosis!" Ash clenched his fists as he thought. Running away proved to be useless. Watchog seemed to be able to hit Oshawott from anywhere with Hypnosis.

Ash's memories flowed back to him, every water Pokémon he has seen and known. Thinking of some way to hit first.

"Buizel. That's it! Oshawott, propel yourself by using Water Gun on the ground!" Oshawott followed Ash's order and was in the air. Watchog however simply changed the direction of the Hypnosis to the sky. "Put your hands by your side, dive straight towards Watchog!" Once again, Oshawott followed Ash's order to the exact and soon found himself submerged in water. Ash grinned as Oshawott now used Aqua Jet.

Oshawott however panicked and shut his eyes tight. Before Oshawott knew it, he crashed into a wall and slid down slowly. He got up and shook his head before turning back to Watchog.

Ash and Pikachu were surprised when Oshawott's Aqua Jet suddenly turned and crashed into the wall. "Oshawott! Are you all right?" Oshawott nodded and Ash frowned. "Try Aqua Jet once more!"

Oshawott nodded and again, Oshawott was submerged in water and shot straight towards Watchog. Once again however, Oshawott closed his eyes and crashed into the wall again.

Lenora raised a brow before turning to Watchog. "Let's end this, for Oshawott's sake. Hypnosis." Watchog used Hypnosis but using Aqua Jet, Oshawott managed to dodge the Hypnosis. But crashed into a wall again.

This time, Ash noticed what was going on and when he commanded Oshawott to use it again, he yelled "Open your eyes Oshawott!" Oshawott's eyes burst open and before anyone knew it, Oshawott hit Watchog directly in the stomach, sending it flying into the wall knocking it out.

There was silence and everyone stared in shock before a grin grew on Ash's face. "All right Oshawott!" Ash ran over to Oshawott and picked him up. "You were amazing!"

Lenora let out a sigh and smiled as she returned her Watchog. "Colour me impressed, I sure didn't see that one coming." Ash turned to her. "But I can safely say my theory was correct. You're more than just talented. You're motivated."

Ash followed Lenora to her desk where she picked up a box and opened it. Inside it was a thin, rectangular badge. "I must admit, I was curious to see how you would win that after that little show your Oshawott had with Aqua Jet. You think quickly on your feet and you can tell if something is wrong with your Pokémon. Your fighting style is so enchanting. It is charming. You are definitely a Pokémon Trainer worthy of receiving this Basic Badge."

Ash rubbed the back of his head, slightly embarrassed from the praise before taking the badge. He looked at Pikachu and Oshawott. "We did it guys! We got the Basic Badge!"

Lenora laughed. "Make sure you never lose that enthusiasm, you hear?" Ash nodded and before he could thank her, footsteps followed by a distressed voice was heard.

"Deeear! Dear! Come quickly! That Team Plasma, they're threatening to steal some bones!" The person yelling was the man who gave Ash the quick tour, Hawes.

Lenora frowned. "What? What's going on?" Lenora quickly rushed out of the basement leaving Ash alone with his Pokémon. Ash turned to Oshawott and Pikachu and nodded, returning Oshawott, and ran after them.

* * *

"You're free to go Ms. Hilda." Hilda sat up immediately as the doctor spoke those words.

"Really?" When the doctor nodded Hilda grinned and got out of the bed, grabbing her clothes and getting dressed. She did a few stretches and put her hat back on. "It's good to be back." Hilda exited the hospital and looked at the map that she was given by Cheren. It had various notes like where the Gym was located, where the Pokémon Center was, and what Ash's room number was.

The first thing she did was head to the Pokémon Center and received her Pokémon but left her egg in Nurse Joy's care. She went to the room that Ash was supposed to be staying in and used the card key she was given to open it.

"No one's here…" Hilda noticed the room was tidy and empty, as if Ash had already left for Castelia. "There's no way he'd leave me. He probably went out to challenge the Gym or train at the Battle Club. Now that I'm alone though…"

Hilda pulled out all of her Pokeballs from her bag and tossed them in the air. In a flash, she was surrounded by five of her six faithful friends. "Well guys, I'm free and ready for action once again!" At this, all her Pokémon let out a cheer, except the silent Pansear who simply nodded. "First we're going to find Ash and do some training then we'll challenge the Nacrene City Gym and win. Can't fall behind now, can we?" Hilda returned her Pokémon to their Pokeballs and left the Pokémon Center.

As Hilda stepped outside, she noticed someone running into an alley. Someone with familiar white clothing. "That's…" Hilda released Purrloin. "Watch my back, all right?" Purrloin nodded and the two gave chase into the alley.

* * *

 **Warning: Long A/N.**

 **Summarized: Sorry for the wait. Next chapter won't be for a while unfortunately. Thanks for reading!**

 **So almost a year, huh. I hope you all are ready to hear the typical same old excuse you've probably heard from many authors: School. I never thought this year would be so freaking busy but, man. It's extremely stressful especially when everyone around you has such high expectations for you. So while I enjoy writing this story, it isn't my top priority and I hope you guys understand that.**

 **This chapter has taken me months to write. Specifically the Lenora battle. I had no idea how to make that fight interesting considering the lack of moves this early on. I know Ash lost against her in the anime, and I was planning on making him lose here as well, but I changed my mind for a couple reasons.**

 **1\. I don't want to write that fight again.**

 **2\. This is Ash from Sinnoh. The problem with the previous chapters was that I decided to catch up with the Kalos anime while writing them…big mistake on my part. People like and enjoy XY and Z, say he's gotten better, but I personally don't see it. He's better than he was in Best Wishes, sure, but Diamond and Pearl? Nope. So I wrote this chapter while watching Advanced Generation. I think it helped a bit (I watched the entire Advanced Battle and Battle Frontier seasons and STILL didn't finish this chapter). But I think Kalos Ash influenced my writing a bit so lesson learned: I will never watch anime while writing again.**

 **Next chapter, I unfortunately don't know how long it will be until that one's finished. Hilda will get the spotlight in that one and will redeem herself from Wellspring Cave.**

 **Yes, Trip is in it. I don't like him much but he's one of the main anime rivals…though a pretty bad one. Hopefully I can give him some much needed character development. Cameron will also appear soon per your guys' request.**

 **Also the end with Hilda takes place during Ash's Gym Battle. It would've been weird to place it in the middle so I stuck it at the end.**

 **Also, before anyone thinks otherwise, Dye is** ** _not_** **an OC. She's a character who you can trade a Cotonee/Petlil with and battle her in the post-game. Whether or not she'll be a league contender, maybe. If I need people to fill in slots later. But that's not for an extreeemely long time.**

 **Also, I was thinking about giving Pikachu a Light Ball. Like a necklace with it attached or something. Idk just a thought.**

 **Can't think of anything else to say and I'm probably forgetting something but thanks everyone, for sticking with this story and all the nice things you've said, it really means a lot** **J**

 **Also, here's an update/reminder on every main character's team so far:**

 **Ash**

Pikachu – Thunderbolt, Volt Tackle, Iron Tail, Quick Attack  
Oshawott – Razor Shell, Water Gun, Fury Cutter, Tackle, Aqua Jet  
Tepig – Ember, Tackle, Flame Charge  
Munna – Psywave, Defense Curl, Yawn  
Pidove – Air Cutter, Quick Attack, Aerial Ace, Gust  
Snivy – Vine Whip, Leaf Blade, Attract, Leaf Tornado  
Egg

 **With Juniper**

Pidove

 **Hilda**

Oshawott – Tackle, Water Gun, Razor Shell  
Lillipup – Headbutt, Dig, Tackle  
Gothita – Tickle, Pound, Confusion, Psybeam, Fake Tears  
Purrloin – Pursuit, Assist, Fury Swipes, Sand Attack,  
Pansear – Scratch, Incinerate, Bite, Acrobatics, Flame Burst  
Roggenrola – Rock Blast, Iron Defense, Mud Slap, Headbutt  
Egg

 **With Juniper**

Gothita

 **Cheren**

Servine – Vine Whip, Tackle, Leaf Tornado, Solarbeam  
Purrloin – Scratch, Assist, Pursuit, Payback,  
Tranquill – Gust, Quick Attack, Air Cutter, Detect  
Tympole – Bubblebeam, Mud Shot, Supersonic

 **Bianca**

Tepig – Ember, Tackle, Flame Charge  
Lillipup – Bite, Tackle

 **Trip**

Frillish – Protect, Water Pulse, Hex, Night Shade  
Tranquill – Aerial Ace, Double Team, Work Up, Air Cutter  
Servine – Tackle, Leaf Tornado, Cut

 **James**

Carnivine – Bite, Bullet Seed, Bind, Vine Whip  
Mime Jr. – Mimic, Tickle, Teeter Dance  
Patrat – Tackle, Bite, Leer, Sand Attack

 **Jessie**

Wobbuffet – Counter, Bide, Mirror Coat  
Seviper – Haze, Poison Tail, Wrap, Bite  
Yanmega – Sonic Boom, Ancient Power, Steel Wing, Silver Wind

 **And here are my replies to reviews:**

 **jmartinez8089:** **"…** **one** **or two of his older Pokémon…" Well there's Pikachu. But in all seriousness, that's a valid point but then less training for his Unova Pokémon and they won't be able to get stronger as efficiently. I understand what you mean though, but he's just going to stick with his Unova Pokémon. They're going to get stronger though. Maybe every now and then I'll bring back a Pokémon to help Ash with training. Like maybe Buizel to help Oshawott with Aqua Jet or something.**

 **Cottonmouth25:** **Changed! Haha I wholeheartedly approve of your joke! *Thumbs up***

 **Wanli8970:** **Y'know that may not be a bad idea…**

 **ShadeZyro:** **Team Rocket isn't an organization to take lightly. Cassidy and Butch have proved to be capable as well. The only changes would be Ash and Hilda taking things a bit more seriously and remember, Ash isn't aware that Ghetsis tried to kill him and that the Scolipede intentionally caused the edge to break. He just think it's an accident.**

 **RPM Shadow:** **I don't really know much about Hilda either. She's practically an OC personality-wise. I'm just going off the manga, some game stuff, and…yeah. Since you got this chapter, I'm still continuing!**

 **aleking74:** **Nope, it's not because of binge-reading but probably your personal playstyle and how the anime goes. I fully agree that they have a lot of Pokémon. After Pinwheel Forest, I don't think they will be catching too many Pokémon. Since this is loosely following the anime, I had Ash catch a lot of Pokémon he caught in the anime, each being really early. But hey, the more the merrier, right?  
I've also seen stories with good concepts but the grammar makes it unreadable. Thank you very much!**

 **AdvancedAlto:** **Oh yeah, the Larvesta Egg. Someone will probably get that. But probably not until muuuuuch later. Maybe Hilda. For M015 I'll be using the game events. Glad you're interested in this story!**

 **ASD Pokemon Fan:** **Needed to get the romance started. Haven't had any moments in a while I think.  
Ah, so that's what you meant. All will be explained in due time, though I'm sure you can guess the meaning of each.**

 **Antex-The Legendary Zoroark:** **Thank you for all your reviews!**

 **Guest:** **There's no harm in looking at a pairing that has no way of being canon so I hope you enjoy this story!**

 **Nipunkhan823:** **Considering Iris never got a Dragonite in the game and the anime gave it to her for no reason, Iris will not get a Dragonite unless people really want it back. Which honestly, probably still wouldn't happen cause I hate that Dragonite.**

 **Winter Arctica:** **As I replied above, I may do that. I do know that for a certain large tournament from BW2 Ash will bring back some of his Pokémon. Thank you!**


	13. Forest Barrage

"This is probably a bad idea…" Hilda said to herself as she stepped over some trash. Before she knew it, she was back in Nacrene City outside of the alley. "Where did they go?" She then saw the identified Team Plasma member exit the city in the west and gave chase.

"Well?" Hilda immediately stopped running and she and Purrloin hid behind a bush. "…Out with it then!" She peeked from the bush and noticed that there was an old man speaking to a grunt. This old man dressed similarly to Zinzolin from Wellspring Cave, but there were some differences, such as being bald with only a beard.

"We have identified that the fossil on display matches the criteria of the Legendary Dragon, Sage Gorm," the grunt spoke.

Gorm let out a 'hm'. "Come. Let's regroup and speak there." Gorm and the grunt left and when they did, Hilda and Purrloin let out the breath they were holding in. They looked at each other and nodded before following quietly. Soon they were in a forest and Hilda's eyes widened at the sight.

At least 20 Team Plasma members were lined up in front of Gorm, all saluting him. "Fellow members of Team Plasma. It is time we claim the skull of the Legendary Pokémon Reshiram!"

A loud synchronized shout filled the forest as the grunts cheered before splitting into groups to talk. Hilda looked at Purrloin and thought about the situation.

"If I remember right, Ash and Cheren dealt with the grunts with ease at Wellspring Cave. The leader was strong, but Cheren still beat him. If only I was training instead of lying in bed all day!" Hilda clenched her fists, looking outside her hiding spot at the Team Plasma grunts. "Am I going to be powerless again? Am I going to fail to protect something again? What good am I if I can't even protect myself?"

Hilda felt something soft against her side and saw Purrloin rubbing her head against her. Hilda smiled slightly before rubbing Purrloin's head. "Thank you. I was being a bit pessimistic, huh? That isn't like me. I'm bold and strong. I'm not going to falter. Not again. It was my hesitance that made me weak, I'm sure of it!" Hilda pulled out her Pokedex and stared at it.

 _"Remember Hilda, your Pokedex is more than just a tool. It's your identity, and your friend. If you need help or information, use it."_

Hilda nodded as she recalled Cheren's words at the hospital. "Without Ash to give me advice, I'll have to rely on this. I guess I haven't been utilizing it enough. That's probably why Cheren is so strong." Hilda looked back at the Team Plasma members, wondering how to deal with all of them. "Maybe I should draw them away, one at a time? I don't have much time left though…"

Hilda sent out Pansear and Lillipup to help her with her plan. "Ready? Let's do this." Hilda quietly moved through the bushes, making rustling noises.

"What was that?" One of the Plasma grunts asked, looking in Hilda's direction.

"Probably one of the forest Pokémon," another grunt answered.

"Oh, yeah. You're probably right." With that, the grunts didn't move from their position. Hilda grumbled at her failure but then heard Gorm speak.

"In the deepest parts of this forest, there's another Legendary Pokémon here," Gorm said, reading a book. This got everyone's attention, even Hilda's. Gorm continued. "However, it has hidden itself and will not reveal itself so easily. So I say we lure and capture the Legendary Pokemon and increase our ranks and faith with the king."

The members cheered even more. "How would we lure it out?" One grunt asked.

Gorm smirked. "With the element of surprise. This Pokémon in particular is known for protecting other Pokémon. I wonder what exactly will happen if a forest fire were to take place? Surely it wouldn't leave so many forest Pokémon defenceless."

 _"Exactly what I meant. They are all probably at the bottom of the lake, no more air to breathe."_

Hilda shuddered at the tone, a tone she heard similar to Zinzolin's back at Wellspring Cave. She then looked at the group in anger. She grew even more furious when the grunts cheered.

"That's brilliant Sage Gorm! The forest Pokémon are all weak to fire!"

Gorm nodded. "So is this particular legendary Pokémon. It may even get weakened because of the fire."

Cheers erupted again and Hilda did everything she could to make sure she wouldn't give herself away by shouting. Her Pokémon calmed her down and she let out a quiet breath. "Just what is Team Plasma's goal? They want people to release their Pokémon for the Pokémon's sake but have no problem killing innocent wild Pokémon?" Hilda shook her head. "I shouldn't think about it right now. I need to somehow stop them."

"Um, Sage Gorm?" A grunt suddenly asked, getting Hilda's attention. "Do any one of us actually have a Fire Type Pokémon?"

There was a silence and Gorm closed his eyes. "No…but Fire Types aren't the only Pokémon capable of creating fires. Leave that part to me. When the time comes, I will entrust you to retrieve the skull."

"He's serious…How can anyone be that cruel?" Hilda whispered before shaking her head. "Now's not the time to think about that."

"Hey, think we can find a wild Pansear and help Sage Gorm out?" One grunt asked.

"Maybe. They're pretty rare in this area," another responded.

Hilda took note of that and headed deeper in the forest with her three Pokémon following. She kept going until she came to a small clearing. "This is big enough for a battle. Pansear, go to that area and try to lure over some of those Team Plasma grunts." Pansear nodded and jumped up a tree and hopped away.

Hilda waited in anticipation. She was startled when Lillipup barked suddenly. "Huh?" Hilda looked at her hand which was trembling. Lillipup and Purrloin looked at her concerned. Hilda rubbed her hand and smiled at them. "Don't worry. I'm just scared that if I fail, so many Pokémon will pay. We mustn't let that happen!" The two Pokémon cheered and in just a few minutes some Team Plasma grunts appeared. Three in total.

Hilda took a deep breath and grew a cocky smirk as she stared at the three Plasma grunts. "What the? What's some girl doing here?"

"Is that Pansear yours, girl? Why don't you be obedient and hand it over?" One grunt asked, but was wary of Hilda's smirk.

"Not on your life!" At that, Lillipup moved in front of Hilda and started to growl.

One of the female Plasma grunts laughed and stepped forward. "How cute. Guess we'll have to liberate your Pokémon by force." Tossing a Pokeball, a Purrloin appeared.

"If you think you can beat me, then you've got another thing coming!" Hilda claimed before shouting a command. "Lillipup, Headbutt!" Lillipup charged straight towards Purrloin and hit it directly.

"Tch, annoying pup! Fury Swipes!" The Purrloin got up from the attack and readied its claws before running straight at Lillipup.

"Easy! Just keep dodging left to right!" Hilda called. Having trained Purrloin for a bit, she learned that the regular Purrloin attack with their claws in a pattern. They start with a left slash then a right and repeat. Seeing an opening, Hilda called "Headbutt!" Lillipup delivered another Headbutt, this time sending Purrloin flying into a tree, knocking it unconscious.

"You've got to be kidding me!" The grunt exclaimed before recalling her Purrloin.

"Yeah, you lost to this brat. That's pretty sad," one of the male grunts said, stepping forward. "I'm not like her, so be ready!" He tossed a Pokeball and out appeared a Sandile.

Hilda quickly pulled out her Pokedex to confirm Sandile's type, which was Ground and Dark. Hilda tossed a Pokeball into the air and her trusty starter appeared. "I don't have time for this, Oshawott Water Gun!"

"We're not going to stand there and take it! Dig!" Oshawott fired a stream of water but Sandile quickly dug underground, avoiding the Water Gun.

"If you think cheap tricks like that will work on me, you've got another thing coming," Hilda said, raising her head slightly. "The ground!" Oshawott fired a Water Gun at the ground and projected itself into the air. When Sandile appeared from underground, Oshawott was above it with her scalchop in hand and glowing. Delivering a quick slice with Razor Shell, Oshawott knocked out Sandile in one attack.

"W-What the!? Who is this girl!?" The grunt exclaimed, returning his Pokémon.

 _"Oshawott is confident in you, so be confident in Oshawott."_

"A confident girl, that's who," Hilda stated as the third grunt stepped forward.

"No more games," the third grunt sent out a small red and green bug Pokémon. Hilda pulled out her Pokedex.

 _Venipede. The Centipede Pokémon. Venipede is a Bug and Poison Type Pokémon. It discovers what is going on around it by using the feelers on its head and tail. It is brutally aggressive._

"Yikes…I mean, bring it!" Hilda returned Oshawott and turned to Pansear. Pansear jumped in front of Hilda and let out a breath of fire.

"You asked for it. Rollout." The Venipede curled up and started to roll at a fast speed towards Pansear.

"Avoid it by dodging!" Pansear jumped into the air and grabbed a tree branch, avoiding the Rollout. Hilda would have called out a Fire attack but didn't want to risk missing and starting the fire herself. "Acrobatics!" Pansear jumped down and delivered a quick strike to Venipede, sending it flying.

"Tch, Poison Tail!" The Venipede rushed at Pansear quickly and delivered a smack with its glowing, purple tail. Pansear was knocked back and fell to one knee.

"Pansear!" Hilda shouted, noticing something was wrong. Pansear was panting hard as he stood up and Hilda could see a purple coloured aura around him flickering before disappearing. "Ash isn't here…The Pokedex!" Hilda pulled out her Pokedex to hopefully see the problem.

 _Poison. Poison is a status ailment. If poisoned, a Pokémon steadily loses HP when battling. The poison lingers after the battle. To cure it, use an Antidote or Pecha Berry._

"P-poisoned!?" Hilda put away her Pokedex and looked worried at her Pansear. "Pansear…can you still fight?"

Pansear nodded but Hilda was still worried. "You aren't just saying that, right?" Pansear turned towards her and Hilda was surprised at his expression. For the first time Pansear looked at Hilda with a determined expression. Hilda closed her eyes and sighed. She opened her eyes and smirked. "If this is what you want, then who am I to refuse? Acrobatics!"

Pansear moved quickly and struck the Venipede once again, the super effective attack knocking it out. "Tch! I'm not done yet!" The grunt returned Venipede and sent out a Sandile. "Dig!" Sandile immediately dug underground.

"Up the tree!" Hilda called and Pansear quickly climbed up a nearby thin tree, gaining a clear view of the area, before wincing as the poison took effect.

The grunt however wasn't worried. "Destroy that tree." The ground started shaking and Hilda's eyes widened as the tree started to fall.

"Pansear get down from there!" Pansear jumped down and Hilda saw a nest of Pidove. "Purrloin!" Hilda shouted and in a blink of an eye, Purrloin had managed to grab the nest and placed it on the ground. Hilda let out a sigh of relief before glaring at the grunt.

The grunt just shrugged. "What? You used the environment to our advantage, why can't I? Sandile. Sand Tomb." Sandile appeared and shot a sand-tornado straight at Pansear.

Hilda shook her head and glared. "Pansear, dodge and use Scratch!" Pansear cartwheeled to the side, avoiding the Sand Tomb and slashed at Sandile's face.

"Bite that monkey!" Sandile opened its mouth, ready to bite Pansear with its sharp teeth.

"Your head!" Hilda shouted. Pansear crouched and Sandile bit Pansear's tuft, which after a second glowed and Sandile let go, unable to stand the extremely hot tuft. "Flame Burst!" Using the opening, Pansear fired a bursting flame directly at Sandile, knocking it out.

Hilda grinned as the grunts stared wide-eyed, returning Sandile. She took a step forward and they took a step back. "Leave this forest and don't come back!" The grunts immediately ran away, presumably to tell the other members what happened.

Hilda let out a huge breath and hugged Pansear, who was now struggling to stand. "You were great Pansear! We need to get you treated. Antidote or a Pecha berry, huh?" Hilda pulled out her Pokedex. There she saw what a Pecha berry looks like. She showed the image to Purrloin and Lillipup. "Can you two keep an eye out for this?" With two nods, Hilda picked up Pansear and was about to run off when a sudden loud cry stopped her.

Turning around, Hilda's eyes widened as a Tranquill was in front of the Pidove nest, glaring at her. "Uh-oh…Um…will you please listen to me?"

In response, Tranquill let out an angry cry, making Hilda take a step back. Purrloin and Lillipup immediately ran up to the Tranquill to try and talk to it. After a minute of Pokémon talk, the Tranquill merely glared and grabbed the Pidove nest with its talons and flew off. "I'm sorry for what happened!" Hilda shouted until Tranquill disappeared into the treetops.

"Those Team Plasma guys suck," Hilda said, clenching her fists before looking at her two Pokémon. "Thanks you two. Come on, let's go and get out of this area and cure Pansear!" They rushed out of the area and a few moments later ten Team Plasma grunts appeared.

"…Huh? There's no one here," one of the grunts who lost to Hilda said.

"Tch, you were probably hallucinating or something. Way to go," one of the new grunts shook his head.

"There was a girl here! She had some pretty tough Pokémon too…"

"Oh please, we were all standing in the intersection between Nacrene City and the Skyarrow Bridge. No one could have gotten past us."

"Listen, we fought a girl here. And lost. If we don't do something, this could mean trouble!"

"…Fine. Going after some skull is pretty boring anyways. Let's search for this girl." Two of the Team Plasma grunts looked at each other and nodded before following the other grunts.

Hilda had just found a Pecha berry and took a piece and gave it to Pansear who ate it slowly. Seeing nothing change, she gave him another piece. Lillipup and Purrloin were standing on guard and also chatting with a Petilil. Soon the entire berry in her hand was gone and Pansear was feeling much better.

"Are you all right Pansear?" Hilda asked. In response, Pansear jumped out of Hilda's arms and nodded, patting his chest. Hilda laughed. "That's good. Especially since we'll be having company, you're going to need to be in tip-top shape!" Hilda used a Super Potion on Pansear and stood up. The Petilil which Lillipup and Purrloin were talking to ran away and the two Pokémon were on guard. There were sounds of voices in the distance.

"Come on guys, we need to find another clearing," Hilda said before running off with her Pokémon following close behind. Another clearing they found, this time near a river. "At least there are some Water Pokémon around here, in case that fire does happen."

"There she is!" Hilda turned around and saw the group of grunts heading her way.

"Wow, they weren't being crazy," one of the new grunts said. "She's just a kid! Are you guys really that incompetent!?"

The three grunts looked down in shame while the other new grunt squinted. "A kid causing trouble? Didn't Sage Gorm mention something about that?"

"Doesn't matter. Go Trubbish," the first new grunt threw their Pokeball and out appeared what seemed to be a garbage bag. Hilda immediately clasped a hand over her face while the other grunts pulled up their outfits.

"Ugh, what is that!? When did you last wash it!?" Lillipup, Purrloin, and Pansear weren't doing much better and struggled against the stench.

The grunt who sent the Trubbish out simply laughed. "Trubbish is known for spewing different types of gas, whether it be Sleeping Gas or Poison Gas! But my Trubbish is special, I've been able to coat it in a terrible stench that paralyzes opponents!" While he was talking, Hilda pulled out her Pokedex.

 _Trubbish. The Trash Bag Pokémon. It is a Poison Type Pokémon. Inhaling the gas they belch will make you sleep for a week. They prefer unsanitary places._

"Ugh," Hilda returned her three Pokémon to spare them and thought over her choices. "Roggenrola!" Out appeared her rock partner. Again, Hilda wasn't sure about the biology of a Roggenrola but from what she can tell, Roggenrola didn't have a nose.

"Was not expecting that. Trubbish, Poison Gas!" Trubbish belched and sent a Poison Gas straight towards Roggenrola.

While Roggenrola seemed to not smell, as it didn't react to Trubbish, Hilda wasn't going to take any chances that a Roggenrola can't be poisoned. "Mud Slap!" Roggenrola quickly used Mud Slap to counter the Poison Gas then ran straight towards Trubbish. "Now Headbutt!" Roggenrola hit Trubbish directly, sending it flying back.

"Get up and use Doubleslap!" Trubbish ran towards Roggenrola and started slapping it. Hilda was confused and she pulled out her Pokedex to confirm.

"Rock types are resistant to normal attacks, so what's his plan? No matter, Rock Blast!" However Roggenrola didn't move and instead was leaning down, appearing to be tired. "Roggenrola!? What's wrong?"

The grunt laughed. "Trubbish's ability, Stench. If Trubbish deals a physical attack, the opponent may be unable to move!"

"But for that to work…" Hilda's eyes widened. "Roggenrola! You can smell!? Then why did you insist on fighting close!?"

Roggenrola turned to her and while it was impossible to tell, Hilda could tell that it had a determined yet happy expression. Hilda gave out a sigh and smiled. "Thank you Roggenrola."

"If you're done, Acid Spray!" Trubbish fired a fluid that hit Roggenrola. Seeing nothing visual happen, Hilda pulled out her Pokedex.

 _Acid Spray. The user spits fluid that works to melt the target. This harshly reduces the target's Sp. Def stat._

"Special Defence?"

"Now Sludge!" Trubbish this time hurled Sludge which sent Roggenrola flying back much to Hilda's surprise.

"Roggenrola!" Hilda shouted as Roggenrola stood back up. "We'll just finish this with consecutive attacks! Rock Blast!" Roggenrola's core glowed before shooting a glowing rock, hitting Trubbish directly. Two more were shot and Trubbish was sent flying.

"This is getting ridiculous! Help me out here!" The grunt said to his partner, who rolled her eyes but sent out her Lillipup.

"Two on one? That's not fair!" Hilda then noticed that their Lillipup was unaffected by the stench. "Is this stench selective or something?"

"Take Down!"

"Sludge!"

"Uh, Iron Defense!" Roggenrola glowed before turning into metal. Lillipup ended up hurting itself more but the Sludge still got through and dealt major damage. "I don't think Roggenrola can take another Sludge, but none of my other Pokémon can handle the stench…I got it!"

"Well you're useless, Trubbish. Sludge again."

"Excuse you. Who just cried for help? Lillipup, Work Up then Take Down."

Hilda quickly released her own Lillipup. "Dig! Roggenrola, dodge!" As soon as he came out of his Pokeball, Lillipup dug underground. Hilda looked back to Roggenrola and saw it dodge the Sludge and the opponent's Lillipup heading their way. "Rock Blast!" Firing five Rock Blasts, Lillipup was knocked out immediately.

"Really? You lost already?" Trubbish's trainer said.

The other grunt returned Lillipup. "You lost too."

"Huh?"

Hilda's Lillipup appeared from underground and struck Trubbish, landing the super effective attack and defeating it. Hilda was about to cheer when Lillipup started glowing. All the trainers watched in amazement as Lillipup changed form, growing much bigger. Hilda squealed at the sight of her new Herdier and ran up to him. "Congrats Herdier!"

They quickly remembered their audience and glared at them. "Not so tough without your leader, huh?"

The grunts immediately ran at the glare and Hilda was slowly getting more confident. She turned to Roggenrola and picked him up. "Thanks for your hard work." Hilda grabbed a Super Potion from her bag and healed up Roggenrola. She looked back at her other Pokémon. "I don't think we can take them all on. Soon I'll be out of potions and then we'll be in trouble. Maybe I was getting in over my head…"

Hilda sent out Pansear once again for lookout and started walking. "Maybe…maybe I can find that legendary Pokémon before Team Plasma do!" With a new objective, Hilda headed deeper into the forest. "I wonder what kind of Pokémon it is…Will it be anything like Zekrom? …Nah a Pokémon that big can't possibly be in this forest. What did those grunts say? All the forest Pokémon are weak to fire? So could this legendary Pokémon be weak to fire as well? Then it has to be..."

Pulling out her Pokedex, Hilda checked the types. Grass, Bug, and Steel were all weak to Fire. Hilda nodded, it doesn't make sense for a Steel Type to be here so it had to be a Grass or Bug Type. If she wanted to capture it, then she'll have to weaken it. Hilda glanced at Pansear. Pansear was slowly but surely opening his heart to her and is growing stronger as a result.

Hilda clenched her fists. "I've learned a lot in the short time I've been travelling, and I now know for a fact that Team Plasma is wrong. Pokémon and humans coexist alongside each other, helping each other. That is the truth, nothing more, nothing less."

 _That is a fascinating truth._

Hilda's eyes widened and she stopped in place, her Pokémon on guard. She could feel a heated stare on her back.

 _Let's put that resolution to the test._

Hilda turned around and saw a green antelope-like Pokémon. It had two horns, each extending from the side of its head and ending in a curl. It walked on four legs, its hind legs coloured white along with its face. The Pokémon raised its hooves then slammed them into the ground. Leaves appeared and headed straight towards Hilda.

Hilda didn't say anything as Pansear fired Flame Bursts and Roggenrola fired Rock Blasts. The leaves were now gone and Hilda pulled out her Pokedex.

 _Virizion. The Grassland Pokémon. Virizion is a Grass and Fighting Type Pokémon. Its head sprouts horns as sharp as blades. Using whirlwind-like movements, it confounds and swiftly cuts opponents._

Hilda pocketed her Pokedex and used the opportunity given by her Pokémon. "Herdier, Take Down!" Herdier immediately made a dash towards Virizion. As soon as Herdier got near, Virizion leapt into the sky at an incredible speed of which Hilda could only stare in awe.

Virizion sent leaves flying straight at Hilda again, which Pansear and Roggenrola countered once again. Hilda quickly used her Pokedex to find out the attack was Magical Leaf. "Roggenrola, Rock Blast!" Roggenrola fired five Rock Blasts straight at Virizion, each one Virizion managed to dodge. "I have to counter its speed…Acrobatics!" Pansear jumped and with swift movement tried to strike Virizion, but again Virizion dodged.

This time Virizion charged straight at Pansear, its hind legs glowing. "Pansear, get out of there!" Pansear cartwheeled away as Virizion struck the ground with a devastating Double Kick, resulting in small craters. Hilda decided to use the opening for an attack. "Flame Burst!" Pansear used Flame Burst which hit Virizion but it didn't appear to have seriously damaged it.

"It must be really strong. So this is the power of a Legendary Pokémon…Herdier, Work Up! Pansear, Acrobatics! Roggenrola, Rock Blast!" Her Pokémon did just that, Pansear being able to get Virizion to move away into a direction for Roggenrola to land four solid Rock Blasts.

"Now Herdier, Take Down!" Herdier charged at Virizion again, who used Magical Leaf this time. "Flame Burst!" Pansear countered the Magical Leaf with Flame Burst, giving Herdier an opening to land the powered up Take Down.

Virizion then glowed and suddenly green, glowing whip-like brambles appeared from its side and grabbed Herdier. Hilda didn't need Ash to tell her that this was bad. "Rock Blast! Flame Burst!" Her two other Pokémon fired the attacks and broke the green whips. Hilda checked her Pokedex and learned of the move Giga Drain.

"Recovers its health!? I need to make sure it never gets to pull it off." Hilda looked back at Virizion who ran towards Roggenrola, its hooves glowing. "Why do I feel like…Virizion isn't even fighting at its full strength? Ah, Iron Defense!" Hilda quickly called out, knowing Roggenrola wouldn't be able to dodge the attack.

Roggenrola steeled itself for the two kicks but even then, Roggenrola was sent flying into a tree, barely conscious thanks to its ability. Hilda glared at Virizion. "Rock Blast!" Roggenrola fired some more Rock Blasts at Virizion who used Magical Leaf to counter. "Crunch, Herdier!"

While Dark Type moves aren't effective on Fighting Types, Virizion was still flesh and getting bitten by sharp teeth usually hurts. Hilda hoped that Virizion would be affected for at least one second.

Of course, Herdier needed to land the hit, which was difficult as Virizion jumped away and used Magical Leaf again. "This is getting old!" Hilda said as Roggenrola fired Rock Blast again and Herdier once again ran towards Virizion. Hilda decided to look at Virizion's feet and noticed by the way Virizion shifted it was about to dash to its left. "Flame Burst to our right Pansear!"

Following Hilda's instructions, Pansear managed to hit Virizion's side, stunning it and allowing Herdier to use Crunch on its legs. "Don't let go Herdier!" Herdier only bit harder as Virizion winced and tried to get Herdier off. Virizion even slammed Herdier and its leg into a tree but to no avail. "Acrobatics!" Pansear ran up and did a cartwheel jump into the air before delivering a strike to the struggling Virizion, knocking it down.

Not letting up, Hilda called out attacks. "Rock Blast! Flame Burst! Take Down!" The three used their attacks and an explosion followed. Hilda immediately grabbed a Pokeball from her bag and pushed the button. She pulled her arm back and threw it straight at Virizion, who was then sucked into the Pokeball.

1 Shake and Hilda was trembling.

2 Shakes and Hilda glared at it.

And it broke free. Virizion seemed to no longer be playing around, as now its forehead started to glow and Hilda could tell this was bad news. "Stop it Pansear, Flame Burst!" Pansear shot the Flame Burst straight at Virizion, who with a quick swipe dispelled the attack and now there was a large, sharp blade extending from its head upwards, almost like a sword.

Virizion charged and delivered a quick slice, sending Herdier flying and knocked out. "The tree Pansear!" Hilda called out as Virizion headed towards Pansear. Using this distraction, Hilda returned Herdier and sent out Purrloin. "Assist, Purrloin! Pansear, jump on its face!"

Purrloin used Assist and started to glow, using Herdier's Work Up. Pansear jumped down from a tree branch and landed on Virizion's face. "Scratch!" Pansear begun to deliver a consecutive number of Scratches, learning Fury Swipes.

Virizion cried out as its sword was unable to hit the monkey on its head. Virizion used Giga Drain, planning on grabbing Pansear and tossing it.

Hilda noticed this and quickly called out. "Rock Blast, Roggenrola! Get up close Purrloin and Fury Swipes its legs!" Hilda planned to make Virizion completely immobile. Right now she had it trapped, and it was still feeling the effects from the Crunch as Herdier's teeth marks were still fresh on its skin.

Roggenrola destroyed the green, glowing vines from the Giga Drain and Purrloin managed to deliver a few slashes at Virizion's legs. Virizion cried out and charged at a tree.

Hilda's eyes widened. "Jump Pansear!" Pansear jumped from Virizion's face onto a nearby tree branch. Virizion stopped charging and turned around, sword still raised high. One leap and all of a sudden Hilda and her Pokémon were blown back by the sudden Whirlwind.

"Purrloin, Sand Attack!" Purrloin tossed some sand at the Whirlwind but it didn't do anything as the winds were too strong. Hilda saw Virizion heading straight to Roggenrola. "Roggenrola!"

Hilda watched as with a whip of its head, Virizion slashed at Roggenrola, sending it flying again. But Hilda noticed something and that was Virizion now had mud on its face. Hilda turned to Roggenrola and quickly returned him. "A last second Mud Slap…thank you Roggenrola." Hilda watched carefully as Virizion struggled to walk and stand straight. "I need to bring it down again. Purrloin, Assist! Pansear, Acrobatics!"

Purrloin's paws glowed before a jet of water appeared and sprayed Virizion, unfortunately getting rid of the mud. Hilda almost cursed at her luck before Pansear managed to strike Virizion again with a seemingly more powerful Acrobatics, knocking it down again. Hilda grinned and tossed another Pokeball.

It was three shakes before Virizion broke free again, though this time it was much more exhausted. Virizion clearly underestimated Hilda and as a result took a lot more damage than it expected.

Hilda looked at her two Pokémon, and Purrloin looked ready to fight Pansear was really worn out even though he didn't show it.

Hilda was surprised when Virizion collapsed on the ground, kneeling and it sword disappearing. Hilda stared in shock before smiling. She turned to Pansear and returned him. "You were amazing. Thank you." She looked at Purrloin and nodded before walking to Virizion. Hilda gripped her empty Pokeball but was hesitant.

 _You have the opportunity to seize me._

Hilda blinked at the sudden voice and turned her head but the only ones around were her Purrloin and Virizion before she realized it was Virizion. She decided not to question it and respond.

"Yes, but I can tell you don't want to be caught. Besides, I heard you protect the Pokémon here. If you were gone, then who would do that?" Hilda looked at the Pokeball in her hand, still thinking about what she should do. She then went through her bag and frowned, realizing she had just one regular Potion left. No doubt it would be of little effect on a Pokémon as strong as Virizion.

 _Interesting. Your resolve, it's strong. Admirable, for a human._

"Uh, thanks." Hilda scratched the back of her head and took off her cap. Hilda was about to open her mouth again when all of a sudden she and Virizion were surrounded by a ring of fire. Hilda jumped and Virizion stood up. Hilda put her hat back on and adjusted it. "What the!?" Hilda looked up and saw smoke fill the sky. She looked back down when someone spoke.

"I must thank you." Hilda's eyes widened at the familiar voice she heard minutes ago. From the flames a familiar old man appeared. "Not only were you able to draw out the Legendary Pokémon Virizion, you even managed to weaken it despite your trainer rank."

"Team Plasma Sage Gorm!" Hilda clenched her fists and Purrloin readied her claws.

"I wonder if Zinzolin was incorrect about his assessment. After all, you have plenty of potential yourself." Gorm stroked his mustache. "No matter. Any potential must be eliminated. Cofagrigus." Behind Gorm a coffin appeared. A coffin with four shadowy arms extending from its back and two glowing, red eyes. Hilda pulled out her Pokedex.

 _Cofagrigus. The Coffin Pokémon and the evolved form of Yamask. Cofagrigus is a Ghost Type Pokémon. They pretend to be elaborate coffins to teach lessons to grave robbers. Their bodies are covered in pure gold._

"I have seen you fight, you do not stand a chance against me, Shadow Ball," Gorm said as Cofagrigus created a ball of dark energy and fired it at the three.

"Dodge Purrloin, then Pursuit!" Hilda called out before realizing she was going to be hit. She suddenly felt Virizion bite the back of her shirt and leapt away with her, saving her from the attack. Purrloin was able to quickly dodge the attack and strike Cofagrigus, dealing moderate damage.

Virizion stepped in front of Hilda and glared menacingly at Gorm who didn't seem affected. Purrloin then stepped in front of Virizion, who stared in surprise and turned to Hilda who had a Potion in her hand.

Hilda sprayed the Potion on Virizion and patted Virizion's side before giving it a determined look. "We'll deal with him. You need to go save the forest Pokémon." Virizion didn't hesitate and nodded before taking a leap and creating a whirlwind which dispelled the flames before disappearing into the forest.

Gorm raised a brow. "Normally I'd follow, but you won't leave me, would you?" Hilda shook her head and Gorm sighed. "Troublesome. So you survived a cold swim, let's see you survive a hot oven. Will-o-wisp." Cofagrigus shot several bluish-white flames at the surrounding area, lighting the forest back on fire and surrounding them in a ring of fire once again.

Hilda adjusted her cap and glared at Gorm, sweat trickling down her face. "I won't falter, I will survive this 'hot oven.' The question is, will you survive my fury?" As Hilda said that, Purrloin dealt an incredibly powerful slash at Cofagrigus, being Assurance.

Gorm furrowed his brow. "What are you? Do you not only have one Gym Badge? This…Cofagrigus, Disable." Cofagrigus's eyes glowed and then Purrloin glowed. Hilda's Pokedex told her exactly what Disable did, though it wasn't hard to guess. "Now Night Shade!"

Once again Cofagrigus's eyes glowed and a ghostly monster appeared in front of Purrloin and then swiped its claw, hitting Purrloin. Hilda checked her Pokedex which detailed the attack. "Purrloin, it was nothing but a mirage! Counterattack with Pursuit!" Purrloin slashed and struck Cofagrigus again, the effects of the attacks showing.

"Will-o-wisp." Cofagrigus shot the bluish-white flames at Purrloin, landing hits but not doing any damage.

"Huh?" Hilda asked as she used her Pokedex again.

"You are awfully reliant on that tool. I'll save you the trouble, Will-o-wisp doesn't deal damage but instead burns the opponent. This is especially devastating on a Pokémon who like to deal quick strikes. It's even worse when you're up against a Pokémon like my Cofagrigus. Hex."

Cofagrigus created a dark energy ball with that had an eye in the center and threw it straight at Purrloin. "Dodge it!" Purrloin leapt out of the way and used Pursuit again. Purrloin was then engulfed in flames. "Purrloin!"

"Burn makes you take damage over time, just like Poison. Hex again." Once again, Cofagrigus generated the dark ball of energy and shot it at Purrloin, dealing massive damage and sending it flying. Hilda quickly caught Purrloin in her arms before Purrloin flew into the flames. "I watched you fight Virizion. I know your Pokémon well. You don't have anything that can face me."

Hilda returned Purrloin and glared at Gorm. "I have one more Pokémon." Hilda sent out Oshawott who gripped her scalchop. "Water Gun!" Oshawott immediately used Water Gun, though Cofagrigus quickly dodged. The Water Gun ended up hitting the flames and dousing it.

"Are you going to battle me, or put out the fire? Will-o-wisp."

"I'll do both and one better, defeating you! Water Gun!" Oshawott countered the incoming flames with Water Gun and started to run towards Cofagrigus. "Now, Razor Shell!" Oshawott leapt in the air and delivered a slash with Razor Shell.

"Shadow Ball, we won't lose to this peasant!"

"Peasant!? I'll show you, Razor Shell!" Oshawott sliced through the Shadow Ball and was going to strike Cofagrigus again but was grabbed by its arms. "Oshawott!"

"The hierarchy of old, while forgotten, was effective. Much more effective than it is now. Now trainers have the belief they can do whatever they want, disregarding the safety of Pokémon. We, Team Plasma, aim to fix that and if not a peasant, then you are an enemy that must be eliminated. Will-o-wisp."

"What's with you guys? Talking about saving Pokémon…then explain Wellspring Cave! Or this fire!" Hilda shouted. Oshawott picked up on Hilda's emotions and blasted Cofagrigus with a close-up Water Gun, breaking free from its grasp.

"Sacrifices must be made for the greater good. Wellspring Cave however, is a different novelty entirely. One day you'll understand, should you survive today. Disable."

Once again Cofagrigus's eyes glowed and Oshawott followed, her Water Gun disabled. "Shoot, Razor Shell!"

"Now you are stuck with close combat, Will-o-wisp."

"Destroy those flames!" Oshawott, using Razor Shell, cut each flame dispelling the attack and jumped again to slash at Cofagrigus, who was able to quickly float up and avoid the attack. It tried to grab Oshawott again but Oshawott kept its distance with Razor Shell.

 _I still have Pansear but…he's really tired. Oshawott can do this, I know it._

Right before Hilda gave a command, a scream filled the air. Hilda whipped her head in the direction it came from. "Virizion!?" Hilda exclaimed, the cry sounding similar to Virizion's telepathic voice.

"Never take your eyes off the battle." Hilda turned around and saw Oshawott get hit by Will-o-wisp. "Looks like I didn't need to follow. My subjects managed to claim the Legendary Pokémon, all thanks to your efforts."

Hilda clenched her fists. "There you go again with that talk, 'subjects.' I don't understand your motives, but there's no way you're doing this for the Pokémon! I'll save Virizion, after I defeat you!"

"…Grab it."

"Razor Shell!" Oshawott did another slash with its scalchop but was unable to deflect the hands as her Razor Shell was weakened considerably. Cofagrigus grabbed Oshawott

"Hex." At a close range, Cofagrigus generated the dark energy with the eye and tossed Oshawott in the air. It fired the attack, hitting Oshawott who was sent flying to the side into the flames. "May your Oshawott rest in peace. You on the other hand…"

"Wha-!?" Cofagrigus's arms wrapped around Hilda's neck and pulled her up into the air.

"I will eliminate you now before you become a thorn in our side." Hilda's eyes widened as Cofagrigus opened its coffin, revealing nothing but black, empty space.

"Why…why are you doing this? What will you gain from separating Pokémon from humans? Killing them even!" Gorm raised a brow and watched as Hilda tugged on Cofagrigus's shadow hands.

Gorm turned around and put his hands behind his back. "Humans refuse to listen. So we must show them the results of their action to trap and use Pokémon."

"Then this…!"

"Was a set up. And with the right evidence, we can trick the region into believing this fire was _their_ fault. The blame will then fall on the Pokémon League."

"I took a huge risk, and I think it paid off."

"What?" Gorm turned around before watching as his Cofagrigus was shot by a torrent of water, dropping Hilda on the ground.

"Ow," Hilda groaned as he stood back up, rubbing her neck. She turned to the side and saw her Oshawott standing proud with steam coming out of its body. "I knew you wouldn't let me down Oshawott!"

Gorm was at a loss for words. "I was tricked? Night Shade!" Before Cofagrigus used the attack, it was engulfed in flames and took damage. "Burned? But…Ah!"

Hilda was also confused, and pulled out her Pokedex to find out Oshawott had learned Scald, a Water Type move capable of burning the opponent. "All right, with a ranged attack, we can finish this! Scald!" Oshawott shot the blast of boiling water at Cofagrigus again, dealing much more damage than Water Gun.

"This makes me so mad." Gorm put a hand to his head as he watched Oshawott attack Cofagrigus relentlessly, allowing no chance for a command. "I won't forget this. Regardless, the mission should have succeeded, we should have gotten the Dragon Skull and the Legendary Pokémon. I will take my leave."

Cofagrigus disappeared into its Pokeball suddenly, surprising Hilda. "Wait!" Hilda and Oshawott ran forward but Gorm disappeared into thin air. "He's gone."

Hilda wiped her forehead and looked at Oshawott. "You were amazing. Let's hurry and find Virizion. Scald!"

Oshawott immediately fired Scald to put out the fires around them. When Hilda was certain the fire in the area was put out, she and Oshawott ran off in the direction of Virizion's cry.

* * *

 **Wow time flies. Felt like only last month I updated…speaking of which, a year has passed since I created this story…Damn.**

 **Reasons for delay: School, exams, extracurricular activities, and I finally caught every single Pokémon in Pokémon Y. My Pokedex is complete for the first time since Diamond. It wasn't worth it though and I only had about 50 Pokémon left. But the main reason for the long wait was school and exams.**

 **Honouring Pansear for the fact that Simisear came dead last in that poll in Japan! ...Not really this was just some big coincidence haha. Sorry this took so long, exams and stuff but once I got down to it, I had a lot of fun writing this chapter. Let me know what you guys thought about it. Did I make Hilda too skilled? Or is she at the right balance between a video game protagonist and an anime protagonist?**

 **I'm trying to listen to you guys while keeping this as realistic as possible, character wise and following my own desires. I'll have Ash bring back Pokémon for training purposes, like Buizel to help Oshawott with Aqua Jet for example. Just don't expect that too much. And Pikachu I guess I did give him the anime treatment huh? I'll fix that.**

 **Thank you for reading!**

 **Here are my replies to reviews!**

 **Cottonmouth25:** **Haha, Trip sucks I agree. Hopefully I can make him better. Thank you very much!**

 **Werewingwolfxx:** **He'd probably just say they "don't count" 'cause they're from the boonies, even if they weren't. That or Trip wouldn't believe him.**

 **Guest:** **That's a good concept, but I'm personally tired of Mewtwo in fanfics. The Genesect movie I may write and the TRUE Mewtwo will be in it but that's about it. I could make N appear in the movie as well but that's all you'll see from Mewtwo.**

 **Server lock:** **Yeah, I may not know from experience, but relationships just don't happen immediately especially with someone you barely know. I think a certain Ferris wheel is where the "true" fluff will begin ;) (Fluff will still be between then, especially in Castelia but a certain Ferris wheel would be where things get serious)  
Thank you! I'm still learning at writing battles so that means a lot! Apparently. At least in Johto he kept his skills and sort of did in Hoenn and kind of regained them towards the end of Sinnoh.**

 **Klaw117:** **Glad to hear that! Trip was I'd say more of an ass :P Probably for the best you didn't see too much if you didn't want Ash ruined for you. Summer is here! More updates! Hopefully but there's so much games I need to play!  
Ash beating Tobias…probably won't happen. I hated Tobias for the reason you stated but because he's got Legendaries, he isn't an easy opponent since Legendaries in the anime are basically gods or demi-gods. Ash has beaten them before, but not without serious effort and struggling. Charizard had a difficult time beating an Articuno. But if I make a sequel…then Ash may beat Tobias. I would love for him to get knocked down a few pegs, but the Ash in my story still isn't strong enough, if we're considering that Tobias has more Legendaries. If Tobias just has Latios and Darkrai, then Ash will win in my story. Ash was also kind of stupid in that battle anyways and there was some stupid stuff like Darkrai surviving Megahorn and Ash using Gible and Torkoal. I expected Snorlax personally.**

 **Dareth:** **I'm glad you respect my take on things and still enjoy it! Thank you very much!**


	14. Thunder in the Flames

_"Deeear! Dear! Come quickly! That Team Plasma, they're threatening to steal some bones!" The person yelling was the man who gave Ash the quick tour, Hawes._

 _Lenora frowned. "What? What's going on?" Lenora quickly rushed out of the basement leaving Ash alone with his Pokémon. Ash turned to Oshawott and Pikachu and nodded, returning Oshawott, and ran after them._

As soon as the three exited the library, all they could see was smoke covering the entire museum and hear employees and visitors screaming. "What's going on!?" Lenora ran up to the smoke but quickly backed up as a Pokémon and person stepped forward out of the smoke, a Watchog and a Plasma Grunt.

Ash meanwhile looked carefully at the smoke. It wasn't a Poison Gas or Smog, nothing that can specifically hurt people, but could hinder vision. It was either a smoke bomb or a Pokémon attack. Ash doubted it was the former because no smoke bomb he's seen covered an entire room so it had to be an attack. Ash felt some sort of familiarity with this smoke.

"This is a Haze attack," Ash muttered, wishing he had Pidove with him. Ash started to think of all the Pokémon he's seen in Unova capable of learning such an attack but he didn't have enough knowledge of Unova to be able to determine that.

Lenora glared at the Plasma Grunt. "Explain yourself!"

"We're here to reclaim something. Something you have taken and placed on display for the purpose of humiliation!" The Plasma Grunt exclaimed.

"What are you going on about? I will not stand by and let you do as you please! Lillipup!" Lenora sent out a Lillipup to fight the Grunt's Watchog. "Ash, you go stop them!"

Ash nodded and ran into the Haze. Lenora turned back to the Plasma Grunt. "Heh, you think you can beat me with a Lillipup?"

Lenora smirked. "You seem to not know who I am, I am the Gym Leader of Nacrene City, the master of the Normal Types. Watch, as your big, tough Watchog falls to the cute Lillipup. Thunder Fang!" Lillipup's mouth started to electrify as it jumped and bit Watchog hard. "Hidden Power!" Balls of energy appeared around Lillipup who fired them straight at Watchog.

"Grr, Revenge Watchog!" Watchog ran up to Lillipup, ready to deliver the fierce strike. Lillipup stood its ground as Watchog sent it flying with the super effective, stronger attack. "Heh, checkmate."

"Yes. I win, Reversal," Lenora said as Lillipup glowed before charging straight at Watchog, sending it into the Museum wall, knocked out.

"You're kidding! What!?" The Plasma Grunt returned Watchog and was about to flee but was stopped by Lillipup and an Audino. Audino quickly detained the Grunt and Lenora walked up to him.

Ash saw red eyes piercing the Haze. "Pikachu!" Pikachu jumped off of Ash's shoulder and used Thunderbolt, striking the Pokémon which was a Patrat and knocking it out.

"What was that? Hey, it's that kid with the foreign Pokémon!" Ash turned around but all he could see was the black Haze.

"We must liberate it! Such a rare Pokémon doesn't deserve to be captured by a Trainer who will do nothing but mistreat it!"

Ash kept turning at the voices but was unable to see anyone. "How can they see? Do they have some sort of goggles? Stop hiding in this stupid Haze!"

"Who are you to make demands of us?" Ash was about to say something until he heard Pikachu scream. Pikachu was hit by an attack and Ash had no idea what it was. "It was a fast attack, but was it a physical attack or a ranged attack? And I don't want to hurt any innocent people…" Ash then heard Lenora speak from her fight.

"You will tell me everything. Don't think we League Associates have been just ignoring everything you Plasma people are doing. What is this all for?"

The Grunt glared before declaring their motives in an extremely loud voice. "To liberate Pokémon! Break them from their shackles! Save them from humans!"

In response, Ash heard a few dozen cheers from the Haze and was surprised at the amount of Plasma Grunts in the Museum. "Doesn't matter if there are a hundred of them! I'll defeat them all!"

"And how do you plan on doing that when you can't even see?" A Grunt asked, hidden.

"Simple! Pikachu, come back. Go Munna!" Ash released Munna and heard the Grunt laugh.

"This is too convenient! Go!"

"Defense Curl!" Munna rolled up as she was hit by an attack. Despite putting up her guard, she still took some damage.

Ash watched carefully and took note that it was a Purrloin this time. Ash looked at Pikachu who was also watching carefully and used Thunderbolt, hitting Purrloin and knocking it out. "Awesome Pikachu, Munna!" Munna floated over to Ash who responded by petting her head.

Ash heard the Grunt sniff as they returned their Purrloin. "How cruel! Using your Pokémon as mere bait! This is why we must liberate Pokémon from trainers as cruel as you."

Ash's eyes widened as he heard the sounds of multiple Pokeballs opening from around him. He clenched his fists as he was no doubt surrounded.

"Tranquill, Gust!" Ash turned to the entrance only to put his arm in front of him as gusts of wind filled the Museum, blowing the Haze away. Ash put down his arms and saw two familiar faces standing at the entrance.

"Cheren! Bianca!" Ashe exclaimed, surprised by their appearance.

"Ganging up on someone isn't very nice! Flame Charge, Pignite!" Bianca exclaimed and her Pignite that was standing by her side was engulfed in flames before charging at all the Pokémon the Team Plasma Grunts released, knocking out one by one.

Cheren approached Ash and pushed up his glasses. "We heard some screams and shouts so we decided to see what was going. I didn't imagine this."

Before Ash could say anything, he just heard the Grunts shouting to retreat and soon the Museum was empty with just the visitors and them. Ash then turned to Bianca. "Wow, you've gotten much stronger Bianca!"

Before Bianca can say anything, Cheren interrupted. "She had an easier time because of this." Cheren pulled out an orange gem. Ash and Pikachu looked at it in amazement. "This is a Fire Gem. Bianca happened to be lucky and found two in Wellspring Cave before we even got there. It boosts a Fire Type move by a significant amount but can only be used once it seems."

"Wow, that's amazing. Those would definitely be useful in a battle!"

Cheren nodded and handed Ash the gem. "You can have this one. Bianca gave it to me but at the moment I do not have any Fire Type moves."

Ash accepted the gem and put it in his bag. "Thanks Cheren!"

Cheren nodded and returned Tranquill. Ash also returned Munna and Bianca returned Pignite before walking up to them. "Anyways Ash, we were wondering if you've seen Hilda?"

"Huh? No I haven't visited her today. I was going to after I got my badge though," Ash said, tilting his head. "Why, what's up?"

Cheren and Bianca shared a glance before looking back at Ash. "Hilda was discharged earlier today. Problem is, we can't find her anywhere." That got Ash's attention and he grew a worried expression. "Even worse, no one has seen her since she left the hospital."

"Cheren!" Cheren turned to Bianca who was glaring at Cheren. "Don't say stuff like that so bluntly! You've made Ash worried!" Cheren turned back to Ash and noticed Ash was looking down with his hands clenched, appearing to be in deep thought.

Cheren sighed. "You make it seem like we aren't worried either. We're her best friends, I don't think I could stand it if something happened to her again. But that's why we need to stay calm and think about this, right Ash?"

Ash looked up and took a deep breath before nodding. "Yeah, you're right Cheren. But I just can't stand here and do nothing either. So if you've got a plan say it otherwise I'm-" Ash was cut off by a shout from Lenora. The three trainers turned around to see Lenora and Hawes looking horrified.

"What's wrong, Mrs. Lenora?" Cheren asked.

Lenora glared at the Dragon statue in front of her. "Those Plasma scum stole my Dragon Skull!"

"WHAT!?" Ash and Bianca exclaimed before looking up at the statue and sure enough, the skull was missing.

"Why would they want the skull of a dragon?" Bianca asked before shivering. "That's just…creepy!"

"They said they wanted to reclaim something, but this skull belongs to no one but that Dragon," Lenora said before heading to the exit. "Cheren, Bianca, mind guarding the museum? Ash, come with me and help me search for the Skull."

Ash looked between Cheren and Bianca. The three had similar thoughts, each wanting to help Lenora but also wanting to search for their friend. A minute passed in silence until Cheren spoke. "Let's help Mrs. Lenora. If I had to guess, Hilda probably chased after Team Plasma already. If I'm right, you better find her quickly."

Ash nodded and followed Lenora out of the museum. As soon as they exited the museum, they stopped at the large number of police officer and spectators. "It seems my husband called the police and people learned what happened. News spreads fast around here, Lenora said looking over the crowd.

A man appeared, waving to an officer, before approaching Lenora and Ash. He has brown hair which was curled. He was wearing a green V-shirt along with pink pants with green stripes and a red scarf. "Good day Lenora. How have you been? Find any good fossils lately?"

Lenora put a hand to her forehead. "What makes you think that, with all the police around here?" Lenora shook her head and turned to Ash. "Ash, meet Burgh. He's an artist who suffers artist's block more than any artist I know."

Burgh placed a hand over his heart. "Now that's a cruel introduction, Lenora! Artist's block is very serious!" Burgh turned to Ash and extended his hand. "Good to meet you Ash, I'm Burgh. A famous artist as well as the Castelia City Gym Leader." Ash's eyes widened as he shook Burgh's hand.

"Really!? You're a Gym Leader!?" Ash's eyes shined for a second before remembering their objective. He turned to Lenora. "We should start looking fast."

Lenora nodded and Burgh looked at all the police officers. "Things seem hectic around here. What's up Lenora?"

Lenora turned to Burgh and put her hands on her hips. "What's up!? Those Plasma goons you said were 'harmless' stole an exhibit, that's what's up!"

Despite the sudden outburst, Burgh remained calm and put a hand under his chin. "Now, now, let's be calm about this. They can't escape from me, I'll String Shot them and bring them back here. I'll go check the Pinwheel Forest."

"Good. Ash, go with Burgh, make sure he doesn't get distracted. I'll go check the east. Burgh, you show Ash the way. I'm counting on you two!" Lenora headed off and Burgh turned to Ash.

"Well, Ash, you raring to round up our robbers?"

Ash grinned. "You bet!"

Burgh nodded. "I like that. I feel I can get some inspiration soon. Come on, follow me." The two headed off to Pinwheel Forest. On the way there, Ash noticed the area seemed familiar.

"Hey Pikachu, didn't we fight N here?" Pikachu thought about it before nodding. "Yeah, it was up there." Ash pointed to the top of a cliff.

"Lenora was worried about me being distracted?" Burgh laughed and Ash immediately went back to following Burgh, until Burgh himself got distracted by a wild Throh and Tympole. "Oh that pose! How inspiring!" Ash sweat dropped as Burgh quickly dug out a sketchpad and started to sketch.

"Burgh, come on! We can't waste time here!"

"While this may be considered wasting time to you, it's actually strategy for me."

"What?"

"Now Swadloon!" Burgh tossed a Pokeball and appeared a yellow coloured Pokémon that was surrounded in a cloak of leaves. The Throh was about to kick the Tympole but Swadloon quickly used String Shot on the Throh's legs, making it trip. Burgh walked over to the Pokémon. "Now, now. No need for violence, what's wrong?"

The Tympole and Throh both started to speak and Ash noticed the Tympole was injured already. Burgh looked around the area and noticed some rocks were destroyed. "Well isn't this something. Seems like there was a big fight." Ash looked around and noticed Burgh was right, but what did that have to do with these two Pokémon? "You wouldn't happen to have fought with people who look like this, would you?" Burgh flipped some pages in his sketchbook before stopping at a sketch of a Team Plasma Grunt.

Throh nodded while Tympole started to shake at the image. "It's a shame I can't understand what they are saying," Burgh said, crossing his arms. "But it seems like Team Plasma had attacked these two and presumably other Pokémon in the area."

Ash had an idea and turned to Pikachu who knew what Ash wanted and jumped down from his shoulder to converse with the Pokémon. When Pikachu was finished, he started to relay everything to Ash. "Tympole's entire family was captured by Team Plasma, but Tympole was left because it was too weak. Throh was walking buy and scared Tympole who attacked it."

Burgh looked at Ash in amazement. "Are you able to communicate with Pokémon?"

Ash rubbed the back of his head as Pikachu jumped back on his shoulder. "Not exactly, it's just Pikachu and I have been with each other for so long we just understand each other."

"How incredible. I believe an image is appearing, yes! I can see it now! The next masterpiece! Now let's hurry and retrieve this exhibit so I can head back to Castelia!" Burgh returned Swadloon and turned around and started heading off to the forest.

"Wait Burgh," Ash said suddenly, making Burgh turn around. Ash glanced at the two Pokémon. "How did you know something was wrong? How could you tell what attack Throh was going to use? What was the point of all this?"

"To answer your first question, seeing two Pokémon as different as Throh and Tympole conversing is unusual. Second, by this." Burgh showed Ash the quick sketch he made of Throh. "An artist sees details that a normal person doesn't. With the way Throh posed and shifted its leg, I knew it was going to use Low Kick. And third, to resolve an innocent conflict and gain information. With this, we now know Team Plasma has headed this way."

The respect Ash had for Burgh went up significantly. Ash then glanced back at the Tympole, as Throh already left. The Tympole kept looking at the two trainers. "Hey Burgh, why don't you take Tympole with you?"

"Hm?" Burgh looked back at Tympole. "…Sure why not. I could use a variety, and this little Tympole looks like it could grant me a whole different type of inspiration." Burgh tossed a Pokeball and caught Tympole with ease. With that, the two entered the forest.

"Well what do we have here?" Burgh's voice made the many people in front of them turn around. In front of Ash and Burgh were over 20 Team Plasma Grunts.

"It's that kid from the museum!"

"It's a Gym Leader!"

The grunts looked between themselves before two stepped forward and sent out two Pokémon, a Patrat and a Pidove.

"It was very nice of you to not go into hiding," Burgh said sending out a Whirlipede. "Trample them." Whirlipede rolled and crashed into the two Pokémon, knocking them out immediately.

"We don't stand a chance against a Gym Leader! First some girl, now a Gym Leader!" The Plasma Grunts started to run. This caught Ash's attention and he quickly grabbed on by the hood.

"Some girl? Who!?" The grunt squirmed under Ash's glare.

"S-some girl who decided to meddle with us! Sage Gorm left after her, she'll be getting what she deserves soon enough-Ah!" The grunt was then tied up in a String Shot by Burgh's Swadloon.

"I'll be taking him with me to the north and blocking the exit there. Ash, continue going deeper into the forest and find the exhibit, and your friend."

Ash's eyes widened, not recalling telling Burgh about Hilda. "How did you…?"

Burgh smirked. "I simply read into what you said to this poor sap…heh, that and your eyes are full of worry. The only people who worry that much over some hunk of rock are Lenora and Clay. An artist can see the smallest of details you know. So get going."

Ash nodded and ran off. "Man Pikachu, Burgh is going to be one tough Gym Leader." Ash kept running until he heard some voices.

"What luck? I caught a Pansear!"

"Don't use it in battle, we need it at its full strength."

Ash decided to step out. "Hey!"

There was a total of four grunts. "Shoot it's the kid!"

"The Gym Leader isn't with him, let's liberate his Pokémon!"

"Yeah!" Three of the four grunts sent out their Pokémon, which were Lillipup, Herdier, and Venipede.

After quickly scanning Venipede, Ash sent out Munna and Tepig and Pikachu jumped off his shoulder. "Psybeam on Venipede, Flame Charge at Herdier, Thunderbolt on Lillipup!" Venipede and Lillipup fell immediately without doing anything while Herdier was still standing.

"Herdier, Take Down!" Herdier charged straight towards Tepig.

"Munna, Psybeam! Tepig, Ember!" The two Pokémon used their attacks to stop Herdier's charge. "Pikachu, Iron Tail!" Pikachu jumped and slammed his ironclad tail on Herdier's head, knocking it out.

"Well? Are you going to help out?" The three grunts returned their Pokémon and looked at the fourth grunt.

The fourth grunt shook his head. "That girl from before took out my other Pokémon."

"Girl from before? Did she have an Oshawott? Or a Purrloin? Or a Pansear?" Ash asked.

The grunt nodded before coming to a realization. "Oh great, you two are friends. No wonder she was so strong. Cocky too, Sage Gorm will give her the ultimate punishment for interrupting us."

"What do you mean by that?" Ash asked, stepping forward with his three Pokémon.

"He means Sage Gorm will get rid of her, like we will of you!" A grunt sent out a Pansear. "Incinerate everything!" The Pansear opened its mouth and fired flame blasts at their surroundings, even at Ash once.

"What do you think you're doing!? Pikachu! Munna!" Pikachu and Munna used Thunderbolt and Psybeam respectively at Pansear but the grunt quickly returned Pansear.

"I would say it's been fun, but it hasn't. Good luck kid." The Plasma Grunts then ran off. Just as Ash was about to give chase the flames in front of him intensified greatly, blocking his path.

"Team Plasma!" Ash shouted in rage. He turned to his three Pokémon. Ash returned Munna and sent out Oshawott, who was completely exhausted after the Gym Battle. Ash walked up to Oshawott and used a Potion. "Oshawott, can you use Water Gun to put out these fires?" Oshawott nodded and began doing just that.

Ash jumped at the sound of something falling nearby. He turned and saw a tree had fallen. "Maybe I should call the Squirtle Squad…too bad they're in Kanto." Ash's eyes widened when he saw several Pokémon start running from a spreading fire. "Oshawott! Over there!"

Oshawott turned around and immediately fired another Water Gun, but it wasn't enough to put out the spreading fire. Quickly taking off his hat and bag, Ash ran and grabbed the running Pokémon who were unfamiliar to him and pulled them away. "Are you guys all right?" He asked the Pokémon who were shaking. Ash pulled out his Pokedex.

 _Sewaddle. The Sewing Pokémon. Sewaddle is a Bug and Grass Type Pokémon. This Pokémon makes clothes for itself. It chews up leaves and sews them with sticky thread extruded from its mouth._

 _Cottonee. The Cotton Puff Pokémon. Cottonee is a Grass Type Pokémon. They go wherever the wind takes them. On rainy days, their bodies are heavier, so they take shelter beneath big trees._

Ash noticed the Pokémon were slightly burnt and gritted his teeth. He needed to remain calm so the Pokémon stayed calm. "It's going to be all right. Don't worry." Ash stood up and watched as Oshawott kept using Water Gun to put out the fire but was getting tired. "Hang in there Oshawott. Hopefully Burgh is also helping out with his Tympole.

Pikachu and Tepig let out a shout and Ash turned around to see them pointing at a Pidove nest in a tree that was slowly getting lit on fire. "Oshawott!" Ash shouted as he raced to the tree with Pikachu following. Oshawott put out enough fire to let Ash and Pikachu climb the tree to save the nest. Ash grabbed the Pidove nest and jumped down, though regretted it immediately after. "Ow…"

Then in an instant, the fires in the area were blown away by a windblast. Ash turned and saw a Pokémon in front of him, looking enraged. Pulling out his Pokedex, Ash is standing in front of Virizion. "A protector of the forest Pokémon, oh thank goodness!" Ash stepped forward. "Virizion I'm so glad you-" Ash was cut off as Virizion used Magical Leaf straight at him. Tepig quickly stepped in and used Ember to counter it.

"What was that for? Virizion! Please, listen to me!" Ash noticed a cloth on Virizion's horn, a white cloth. "Is that a Team Plasma…?" Virizion charged straight towards Ash, its sword exposed ready to cut anything. Tepig, Oshawott, and Pikachu fired their elemental attacks, only Pikachu doing damage and stopping Virizion in its path.

The Pokémon tried to get Virizion to listen but it was to no avail. "Come on Virizion, please!" When Virizion used Magical Leaf again and Tepig, again, countered it, Ash ran a hand through his hair. "You need to calm down! Oshawott, Aqua Jet!" Oshawott put his arms by his side and soon blasted himself in a jet of water straight towards Virizion.

Before going off course and hitting a tree. "Oshawott!" Ash returned Oshawott and smiled slightly. "Looks like we need to work on that, huh?"

Virizion ran towards Ash with its sword glowing. "Tepig, Flame Charge! Pikachu, Thunderbolt!" Virizion avoided the Thunderbolt with ease and slashed at the charging Tepig, sending him flying into a tree and knocking him out in one blow. Ash quickly returned and thanked Tepig before focusing on Virizion with Pikachu in front of him.

Virizion's sword glowed and it charged towards Pikachu. "Iron Tail!" Pikachu's tail turned to iron and he jumped into the air and struck Virizion's sword with his tail, neither Pokémon letting up. "Generate some electricity Pikachu!" While holding off Virizion, Pikachu started to charge up electricity in his tail before suddenly a ball of electricity appeared and then exploded, sending both Pokémon back a bit.

Virizion didn't let that slow it down and sent Magical Leafs straight at Pikachu. "Countershield!" Pikachu got down and began to spin while using Thunderbolt, sending jolts of electricity everywhere completely blocking the Magical Leaf. Virizion ran forward again, this time vines appearing from its back and grabbing Pikachu before sapping his health.

"Giga Drain…Thunderbolt, Pikachu!" Pikachu let out a Thunderbolt which carried through the vines and struck Virizion, who ended up letting go of Pikachu. Still in close proximity however, Virizion's sword glowed and Virizion slashed at Pikachu, sending him flying. Virizion then immediately started running towards the flying Pikachu, sword still glowing. Ash saw this and clenched his fists. "Pikachu! Volt Tackle!" Pikachu quickly opened his eyes and landed against the tree with his feet and propelled himself before being engulfed in electricity. Pikachu met Virizion head on with Volt Tackle, both struggling to overpower the other.

The collision eventually led to another explosion and both Pokémon were at a fair distance from one another. "Let's not let it keep making the moves! Quick Attack!" Pikachu charged at Virizion with an incredible boost in speed and was able to hit Virizion. "We're not letting up, Thunderbolt!"

Pikachu used Thunderbolt, shocking Virizion once more but Virizion didn't stand there and take it. Virizion charged through the Thunderbolt with its hooves glowing, kicking Pikachu twice into the air. "Pikachu!" Ash shouted and Pikachu once again quickly regained his senses in the air.

Ash laughed quietly. "The whole reason I'm here…But we won't make that same mistake again! Volt Tackle Iron Tail!" In the sky, Pikachu engulfed himself in electricity and charged towards Virizion downwards. Virizion's sword glowed, ready to meet the attack. "Now! Iron Tail!" Doing a flip, Pikachu met Virizion's sword with a Volt Tackle-Iron Tail combination. The electricity began to charge around the Iron Tail before that ball of electricity from before appeared again and exploded. This time, Pikachu was standing and Virizion was only getting more injured and tired.

Ash's Pokedex beeped. _Electro Ball. The user hurls an electric orb at the target. The faster the user is than the target, the greater the damage._

Ash blinked and pulled out the Pokedex from his pocket to confirm what the Pokedex just told him. "Pikachu, you have a new move," Ash said in surprise before grinning. Putting his Pokedex back into his pocket, Ash decided to test it. "Electro Ball, Pikachu!"

The ball of electricity appeared at Pikachu's tail, which then Pikachu sent flying towards Virizion and hitting it directly. However, it didn't do much damage. Ash scratched his cheek, "I guess Virizion is really fast."

Virizion used Magical Leaf and again sent leaves flying straight towards Pikachu. Ash didn't need to say the next move as Pikachu was already spinning on the ground and using Thunderbolt to bring up the Countershield. Ash was surprised though when Virizion then dashed forward with its sword glowing and cut through the shield and almost slashed Pikachu who jumped away at the last second. "Should've known that wouldn't work twice, Volt Tackle!"

Charging again, the two Pokémon clashed and another explosion. Ash noticed both Pokémon were getting tired. Virizion knew this and vines appeared from Virizion's back again. "Thunderbolt!" Pikachu used Thunderbolt, but the vines manoeuvered around the Thunderbolt and grabbed Pikachu. Virizion glowed and tossed Pikachu quickly before he could use another Thunderbolt.

"Tch, you're not taking any chances. You must really be at your limit?" Ash looked at Pikachu who was really tired now, especially now that his health was sapped by Virizion. Thankfully, not much of his health could be drained as Virizion released Pikachu almost immediately after using the attack. "Every attack we counter, or Virizion counters. We need to land one, solid hit. Iron Tail!" Ash called out as he saw Virizion's sword glowed. He still didn't know what that attack was, just that it was powerful.

Ash took the continued attacks between the two Pokémon as time to think. "We have to trap Virizion. Then deal the blow." Ash's eyes widened as he thought of an idea. He put his hands in his pockets, looking for an certain ribbon before realizing he left it in his old jeans. "Shoot, I hope mom empties out the pockets before washing…Anyways! Pikachu! Quick Attack around Virizion!"

Pikachu didn't question Ash and did just that, running around Virizion in circles at an incredible speed. "Now Thunderbolt, same way!" Pikachu realized what Ash was doing and grinned as he used Thunderbolt.

The results were a Thunderbolt ring surrounding Virizion. "Now! Jump!" Pikachu jumped into the air and the Thunderbolt Ring closed in on Virizion, shocking it. Ash fist bumped the sky. "Let's go, Thunder!" Pikachu shot a much more powerful and wicked Thunderbolt which, along with the Thunderbolt Ring, dealt severe damage to Virizion. Virizion let out a loud scream that made Ash wince with guilt. Ash and Pikachu watched carefully as Virizion stood, electricity surrounding it, before collapsing on the ground. Ash and Pikachu let out a breath and Ash grinned at their accomplishment.

Ash grabbed his bag and approached Pikachu and Virizion. He used a Potion on both of them. "I'm sorry Virizion. Will you now listen to us?" Virizion looked at Ash, its eyes tired and no longer filled with hate. "We didn't do this. Those Team Plasma guys did, we were only trying to help." Virizion stood up slowly and just nodded slightly. Ash smiled and wiped the sweat from his forehead. He looked around and noticed a majority of the fire was put out. Virizion's whirlwinds definitely helped.

Ash heard a sound from behind him and saw a Pokeball. Ash quickly put himself in front of Virizion and the Pokeball hit his head. "Ow…who's there!?" Ash asked while rubbing his head.

Out of the nowhere an old man appeared in clothing that reminded Ash of Zinzolin. "I thought that girl was a threat, but you. You singlehandedly _defeated_ the Legendary Virizion."

"You're the leader, aren't you!? What happened to Hilda!?"

"The girl?" Gorm's eyes narrowed. "She's probably burned to a crisp by now."

This time, Virizion glared but Gorm didn't pay it attention. "Why you-!"

"Now, now. I'm done. Everything we did here was for naught. A shame too." Gorm reached into his sleeves and pulled out the Dragon Skull. "This is what you're after, isn't it? Then here." Gorm placed the skull on the ground.

Ash was on guard. "Why? You guys caused so much trouble just for that skull?"

Gorm sighed. "Yes, we went through great lengths, only to realize that this skull isn't the skull of the Legendary Dragon."

Ash blinked. "Well, Dragonite's are rare but…Legendary Dragon of Unova rare?"

"So you knew… You may be more knowledgeable then you let on. I have a feeling you're not going to let me catch Virizion. In that case, I hope you burn…" Flames appeared surrounding Ash, Pikachu, and Virizion. "…and farewell." Gorm disappeared into thin air. Ash quickly realized the flames were drawing closer and taller.

Ash wiped some sweat from his chin. "Virizion, can you get rid of these?" Ash turned to Virizion who shook its head. "Oh, right. You need to build up some speed. And Oshawott is unable to battle…" Sweat dripped down Ash's face for many reasons.

"Scald!" Ash turned to the direction where the voice came from and saw the flames around him die down before getting hit in the face by the water.

"AH! HOT! HOT! HOT! MY FACE! IT BURNS!"

"Uh, oops. Oshawott, Water Gun!" Ash was then met by a much cooler Water Gun to the face.

Ash rubbed his face and looked at their saviour, as it was none other than Hilda. Ash had never felt so relieved in his life to see a friend. "Hilda…You're all right."

Hilda could hear the extreme relief in Ash's voice and her expression softened. "Yeah. Sorry for making you worry, Ash."

Ash didn't know what overcame him then, but he stepped forward and pulled Hilda into an embrace, which Hilda gladly returned by putting her own arms around him.

"I'm so glad," Ash whispered. They released each other and Ash stepped back. Hilda was slightly bruised but was otherwise all right.

Hilda also observed Ash, who was covered in burn marks and had some leaves in his hair. At this Hilda giggled and approached him, picking some of the leaves from his hair. "What were you doing, climbing trees?" Ash chuckled nervously and Hilda rolled her eyes but kept smiling.

They then turned to Virizion and walked up to it. Hilda petted Virizion's head. "When I heard your cry I was so worried. I guess it was Ash's fault, huh?" Hilda turned to Ash. "So, are you going to catch it?"

Ash blinked. "Nah. Legendary Pokémon are special and are needed to protect the world. They should remain free."

"I never thought about it like that. But still…" Hilda looked back at Virizion. "Well whatever you say Ash. I guess you should go and check up on all the other forest Pokémon, huh?"

Virizion nodded and was about to head off. "Virizion, I know you held back against me. So one day, when I'm stronger, please battle me again at your fullest!" Virizion looked back at Hilda and smirked before leaping away.

Ash looked at Hilda impressed. "Not everyone challenges a Legendary Pokémon. You gained a lot of courage, huh?"

"Hm? You think so?" Ash nodded and Hilda looked down at Oshawott. "Well that's good. I wasn't going to get anywhere if I kept doubting my partners."

"Well who do we have here?" Ash and Hilda jumped at the voice and turned to see Burgh picking up the Dragon Skull. "You did a good job Ash. Finding your friend and getting the exhibit back."

"More like she found me," Ash said rubbing the back of his head.

The three laughed and Burgh looked at the area. "Something happened here that's probably a much more interesting story than mine. Anyways, care to introduce me, Ash?"

"Ah, yeah, this is my friend Hilda. Hilda, this is-"

"Burgh the amazing artist as well as the Gym Leader of Castelia City and the maker of the Burgh-Love Perfume and designer of the Sewaddle-Silk outfit series and even once had a cameo in the movie _Enter the Beartic!_ I'm a huge fan!"

Ash sweat dropped as Burgh and Hilda conversed about…Burgh. "Drop by Castelia and I may grant you a free Sewaddle-Silk tee that I've been working on."

"That would be awesome, thank you!"

Ash laughed as he went over to where he placed his hat and placed it back on his head where it belonged. Burgh then turned to Ash and handed him the Dragon Skull. "Why don't you return this to Lenora? I'll be heading back to Castelia. I've got some prisoners I'd like to draw out information from…heh."

"Prisoners? Skull? Lenora? Ash, what's going on?" Hilda was completely confused and Ash just laughed before looking at Burgh.

"You can count on me. But, what do you mean by prisoners? Did you capture some Team Plasma members?"

"That's right. And I hope to see you two soon. I can't wait for our battle!" With that, Burgh left to the north, leaving Ash and Hilda alone.

The two looked at each other again and Ash scratched his cheek. "It's so strange, it's been only a few days, not even one day since we last talked, but it's felt much longer."

"Probably because you have so much adventures in just one day. You're going to have to tell what you've been up to!"

Ash nodded and put on his bag. "I'll tell you everything on our way back to the Nacrene Museum. Then we'll head back to the Pokémon Center for a change in clothes."

Hilda smiled. "Sounds like a plan."

* * *

"So you, Cheren, and Bianca went to the Battle Club, met some rude trainer, you then challenged the Nacrene Gym which was in the Museum, beat it, then Team Plasma stole some skull, you met up with Burgh to search for them, and then fought Virizion and won. Does that sum it up?"

Ash blinked. "Y-yeah, that was much faster than my explanation…"

Hilda rolled her eyes. "Yeah 'cause you kept going into extreme details on your battles."

Ash laughed and they soon approached the Gym. There they saw Lenora, Cheren, and Bianca. The two teenagers lit up when they saw Hilda while Lenora looked happy at the skull in Ash's hands.

"Thank you so much Ash. You have no idea how grateful I am. Someone as kind as you, I know your Pokémon are in good hands. Here," Lenora pulled a stone out of her pocket. "Take this."

"A Moon Stone!" Ash exclaimed as he accepted it. "Are you sure? I know Moon Stones are rare…"

Lenora laughed. "They're rare, even valuable, but that's nothing compared to my Museum." Lenora the noticed Hilda. "And who's this? Is she the one you told me about Bianca?"

Bianca nodded. "This is our childhood friend, Hilda! She's been sick for a while, but is back in action! Right?"

Hilda nodded. "It's nice to meet you Mrs. Lenora. I hope you'll accept my challenge."

"Of course. I'd say tomorrow is a good day, our Pokémon will be fully rested as well as us. Besides, you should catch up with your friends. They've been worried sick. Now if you'll excuse me," with that, Lenora headed into the museum, leaving the four trainers.

* * *

Ash took a sip from his drink as he, Cheren, and Bianca listened to Hilda's story of how she chased Team Plasma from the Pokémon Center to Pinwheel Forest. They were at the Pokémon Center at one of the tables and they left their Pokémon to be healed.

Bianca was completely fascinated by Hilda's story. "Wow Hil! That's amazing! You're like a real life superhero!"

"While I think Bianca isn't taking this seriously, she has a point." Bianca stuck out her tongue at Cheren. "You were impressive. Your Lillipup even evolved and you got closer to your Pokémon. You even found out some more info on Team Plasma's motives. I'd say this couldn't have turned out better for you."

Hilda scratched the back of her head. "Haha, yeah I guess. I still smell like a bonfire though," Hilda sniffed her vest. Seeing this, Ash also sniffed his sleeve. "Probably should shower soon."

"Yeah, we're just glad you're okay. Cheren wouldn't admit it, but he was practically tearing his hair out in worry for you!" Bianca exclaimed.

Cheren turned red and shook his head. "Don't accuse me of your actions. I was certain she'd be fine."

Bianca and Hilda laughed and Ash smiled before looking at Cheren and Bianca. "So what do you guys plan on doing next?"

Cheren spoke immediately. "Head to Castelia City. I'll get my next badge and move onwards. Though I would like to catch some more Pokémon."

"Me too! Castelia City is the second-most place I want to go to! It's the biggest city in Unova so it has almost any shop imaginable!" Bianca exclaimed.

Ash nodded. "We'll be right behind you guys after Hilda beats Lenora."

"That's right, which won't take long so you two better get going if you don't want us to get ahead!" Hilda exclaimed.

Bianca nodded enthusiastically while Cheren sighed and adjusted his glasses. "This isn't a competition. Not yet anyways. Oh yeah, Ash. There's some tournament being built in a few months. I don't know the exact date, it's in Driftveil City. Just thought you might want to look into it. Anyways, I should get going. Bye."

Hilda and Bianca waved Cheren goodbye while Ash was thinking about what Cheren said. Or rather, why he told him specifically. Bianca left soon after, wanting to check out the café nearby, leaving Ash and Hilda alone.

"I guess we should grab our Pokémon and prepare to sleep, huh?" Ash nodded though neither got up. "Hey Ash, one day, we'll battle, all right?"

Ash looked at Hilda in surprise. "What brought that on?"

Hilda shrugged. "I don't know. I guess your randomness and passion for battle has rubbed off on me. So?"

Ash laughed and grinned. "Of course. That will be a battle I'll never forget!"

Hilda smiled. "Good. I was worried at first, I thought battles only worsened friendships but battling with my Pokémon made me realize it does the opposite. I've only gotten closer to my Pokémon and I've gotten closer to the trainers. Well, not Team Plasma but Cilan, Cheren, even that boy from the beginning, I've gotten closer to."

Ash nodded, agreeing with everything Hilda said before suddenly standing. "Now you've got me psyched for then! Let's keep at it and never give up!" Ash exclaimed and Hilda also stood up. The two grinned and left to grab their Pokémon and get some rest from a very long, eventful, day.

* * *

 **Much faster update, huh? This one just came and went! Hope I made up for Pikachu's struggles before with his triumph over Virizion. And yes, Pikachu has six moves. Thunderbolt, Iron Tail, Quick Attack, Volt Tackle, Electro Ball, and Thunder. I am not getting rid of Volt Tackle like the anime did and I wanted Thunder to return. Don't know why they got rid of it in the first place. I want Agility back but it's practically the same as Quick Attack and I don't want to give Pikachu a seventh move.**

 **Didn't mention it last chapter, but this story has officially broke 200 pages in Word 2013 with Calibri (Body) font size 11! Though in reality it may be around 190 Pages because of all the Authors Notes. I'll definitely remove the Author's notes when I'm done to find out how much words and pages this story actually is.**

 **Okay so I had the Pokedex entry for Whirlipede in here before I remembered Ash and Cheren fought one before. I was looking for details on its appearance and Bulbapedia said it had a gray shell. I don't know about you guys, but I always thought Whirlipede looked purple. So I booted up my Pokémon Black 2 and using the search, I chose purple and sure enough, Whirlipede did not show up. Searched gray and there it was! I don't know about anyone else, but my mind is blown. I always thought Whirlipede was purple…**

 **Cottonee is a Grass and Fairy Type, in Gen 6, I know. Ever since** ** _UpbeatButNegative_** **pointed out that Cottonee and Whimsicott were Fairy Types a while back, almost a year ago, I've been thinking about what to do. But since those two and Mega Audino are the only Pokémon with the Fairy Type in Unova, I think I'm just gonna keep things in the Gen 5 territory. So no mechanics from Gen 6 will be here. I have at last decided this.**

 **Also, sorry if I described some things in the battles awkwardly. I wasn't sure at how to describe certain things…**

 **Anyways I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! Nacrene City is pretty much over, just Hilda's Gym Battle and then we move onwards! Tell me what you think and thanks for reading!**

 **Here are my replies to reviews!**

 **Werewingwolfxx:** **I probably won't have him lose to a Frontier Brain; that was Paul's thing and Trip is already too similar of a character to Paul.**

 **Red the Pokemon Master:** **Glad to hear that!**

 **Server lock:** **If you are referring to the anime Gurren Laggan…I don't understand because I've never seen nor heard of it until your review haha.**

 **Winter Arctica:** **Yeah, that's what I thought afterwards. She did have to use Potions and did lose most of her Pokémon, 3/5, though. Dang people really want to see Trip get destroyed. Should I offer a proposition? Either have Ash destroy Trip with his old Pokémon in a tournament? Or have Alder appear early and destroy him?**

 **Klaw117:** **I'm glad you liked this chapter and yeah, Hilda needed to make a comeback after Wellspring. Thank you!**

 **Cottonmouth25:** **Honestly, if I were to rewrite the other sagas, each villain would be considerably more threatening. Especially Team Magma and Aqua. But yeah, I always thought Team Plasma were a lot more threatening than people think because they were the first villains to use force on a Pokémon. (Kicking Munna). Though Team Galactic blew up a lake so…Not to mention they modified an ancient Pokémon and gave it some super armour with a cannon, something no other Team has done before. (Team Rocket didn't create Mewtwo in the games…at least, there's no solid proof of that). Ghetsis himself always felt more threatening as a leader then the others. I also had some inspiration from the manga where the Team Plasma there is also as bad as the one in this fic. Anyways, thank you very much!**


	15. Basic Improvisions

Two trainers in cloaks hidden in an abandoned warehouse were staring intensely at a figure on their laptop screen. "Well?" The figure asked.

"They did not appear, Giovanni sir," one of the two figures, Cassidy of Team Rocket said.

Giovanni swiveled in his chair and turned around. "How strange. Dr. Zager had guaranteed to us that the other two Swords of Justices will make an appearance. What about Virizion?"

Cassidy and Butch looked at a bag behind them with annoyed expressions. "Those forest Pokémon refused to let Virizion to be captured and we ended up capturing worthless Pokémon instead. Until Landorus follows our orders and can be caught, we don't stand a chance against the Legendary Pokémon," Butch explained.

"But that Team Plasma were able to weaken Virizion a great deal?" Giovanni asked, still turned around.

"From what we analyzed," Cassidy started, bringing up a picture of the worn out Virizion destroying several of their equipment before sending it to Giovanni. "Virizion took a lot of electrical attacks. Team Plasma is weak, I don't think they could do this much damage to Virizion."

Giovanni turned around to look at the picture that Cassidy just sent him. "So you're saying there's a third-party at work here, also trying to capture the Legendary Pokémon?"

"That or Team Plasma have elite members who are half-decent," Butch said before realizing something and turning to Cassidy. "Hey, what about that annoying trainer with the Pikachu? He's here remember? We fought him back in Accumula Town."

Before Cassidy could respond, Giovanni interrupted them, not looking impressed. "This wouldn't happen to be the same Pikachu those three clowns have been chasing all these years?" The two nodded, making Giovanni scowl. "I refuse to believe that a Pikachu can defeat a Legendary Pokémon. End of that story."

They nodded again and Giovanni pulled up a map of Unova. "Right now simply focus on finding the other two Forces of Nature. Search for heavy rainstorms within the region. Without Landorus, they won't stop fighting. And don't forget to keep an eye out for the Reveal Glass!" After two simultaneous nods, Giovanni ended the call, leaving Cassidy and Butch to look at each other before starting to look through various Unova weather broadcasts.

* * *

Hilda was lying on the ground, staring at her egg capsule. It had been a few days since she got the egg, but she couldn't remember holding it for more than 30 minutes due to the events that transpired. She got back her egg when she got back her other Pokémon as well as switching around her team, specifically bringing back Gothita and sending Herdier to Professor Juniper.

"How long does it take for an egg to hatch?" Hilda asked aloud. Next to her was Oshawott and Purrloin who didn't know the answer. "I'll just ask Ash then." Hilda glanced over to Ash's bed which had his own egg capsule and his bag. Ash and Pikachu stayed at the Pokémon Center's cafeteria for more food. Hilda couldn't help but wonder how he could eat so much. Her plate looked like she was on a diet compared to Ash's.

When the egg showed no sign of hatching, Hilda got off the ground and stood up, stretching before looking at her Pokémon. "Thanks to Bianca, we have no idea what type of Pokémon Lenora uses as she told Cheren and Ash to not tell us. But we'll still come out on top! We won't lose again!"

Hilda jumped when the door behind her opened. She turned and saw Ash grinning at her. "That's the spirit! Now let's go get your Gym Badge!"

Hilda sweat dropped and looked at her two Pokémon then back at Ash and crossed her arms. "Why do I have a feeling you're more excited for my Gym Battle than I am?"

Ash blinked before shrugging. "And how can you not be excited? You'll be one step closer to the Unova League!" With that, Ash exited the room and Hilda sighed.

"Leave it to Ash to completely put a forest fire and battle with a Legendary Pokémon behind him like it was nothing." With that, Hilda returned her two Pokémon and followed Ash to the museum.

* * *

"What." Hilda stared blankly at Ash, who scratched the back of his head.

"Oh yeah, I forgot about the gym's puzzle. I don't really remember the solution, haha," Ash laughed nervously as Hilda was unamused. She did not feel like searching the biggest library she's ever seen for tiny scraps of paper that were clues. Ash walked over to a bookshelf. "I just know this one was where the staircase was hidden under." With that, Ash tried to push it but it was no use. Hilda walked over to the gym pedestal to read the first note and she began solving the puzzle.

Ash watched amazed as Hilda swiftly made her way through the library and solving each of the riddles, sometimes asking Ash for help, before finding the switch that opened the way to the basement. Ash approached Hilda, still shocked at how fast Hilda solved it. "That was amazing Hilda!"

Hilda tilted her head. "Huh?"

"You did that puzzle so quick! It took me a while and would have taken me longer if it weren't for Pikachu," Ash scratched his cheek while Pikachu let out a cry in pride.

"Well I'm not that much of a bookworm as Cheren but being his friend meant a lot of study dates in Nuvema's library. I guess all that searching for books came in handy," Hilda chuckled before going down the stairs.

Ash watched as Hilda went down before turning to Pikachu. "Study _date_? Pikachu, you think Hilda and Cheren-" Pikachu immediately slapped the back of Ash's head. Ash chuckled as he rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah, you're right. They would have been too young." _Though they have known each other since childhood, and they are pretty close. Wait, what am I even thinking about?_ Ash followed Hilda and went down the stairs, though he couldn't help but wonder why he _cared._

Ash entered the familiar battlefield, now patched up from Oshawott's Aqua Jets. Ash headed over to the bleachers and sat down, Pikachu jumping down from his shoulder and giving Hilda a cheer that he learned from their last travelling companion. Hilda came over to give him her egg before returning to the Trainer box.

Hilda giggled at Pikachu's cheers before focusing her attention on her opponent. Lenora smirked as she gripped a Poké Ball. "I heard about your deeds from Burgh and Cheren. I must thank you for what you've done. But you're not here for compliments, you're here for a battle. A two-on-six battle will be the format and I won't be allowed to substitute normally."

Hilda thought the absence of a referee was strange, but now the rules made her even more confused. "Huh? But…shouldn't it be two-on-two?"

"My duty isn't to win, it is to test the trainers! See if they are worthy of their Pokémon Licence! And to do that, you must defeat me with your Pokémon, doesn't matter how many."

Hilda nodded. "Right! I'm ready then! I only have five Pokémon on me right now."

"So a two-on-five Pokémon battle. Then meet my first Pokémon!" Lenora pressed the button on her Poké Ball and out appeared a Pokémon that made Ash's eyes widened.

"Watchog!?" Ash exclaimed as Hilda pulled out her Pokédex to scan. Ash looked at Pikachu, worried. "Why do you think she chose Watchog first? Isn't Watchog her strongest Pokémon?"

"Seems powerful. The only weakness a Normal Type has is Fighting, which I don't have so I'll just choose a Pokémon that resists Normal! Roggenrola!" Hilda pocketed her Pokédex after checking over the type chard and tossed a Poké Ball and out appeared Roggenrola, ready to battle.

Lenora smirked. "Whenever you're ready."

"Rock Blast!" Roggenrola's core glowed and then fired three consecutive rocks and each hit Watchog, who merely flinched at the attack. Hilda bit her lip "That didn't do much…"

"Watchog, Hypnosis," Lenora called out and Watchog's eyes glowed, staring directly at Roggenrola.

"Hypnosis? That doesn't sound good, Roggenrola move away and don't stare at Watchog!" Roggenrola listened and started running to the side.

"Follow it Watchog!" Watchog started running and the speed difference between the two Pokémon was clear as Watchog was quickly standing in front of Roggenrola and was about to use Hypnosis.

"Don't let it stay near you, Headbutt!" Roggenrola took a step back before charging into Watchog, making it stagger back and creating a bruise on its stomach. "Now, create some distance and use Rock Blast!" Roggenrola stepped back and fired several Rock Blasts at Watchog, using the slight knockback the rocks granted to move back.

"If you insist, I'm fine with range. Let's see how well you know your status ailments! Confuse Ray!" Watchog's eyes glowed before a dark energy ball appeared in front of it. The ball then raced across the battlefield and hit Roggenrola directly.

Hilda wasn't sure what had happened and just watched as Roggenrola started to act strange. "Roggenrola, are you all right?" Instead of responding, Roggenrola ran straight towards the wall of the battlefield and slammed into it. "Roggenrola!?"

"Roggenrola is confused." Hilda whipped her head towards the Gym Leader. "It is a status ailment where a Pokémon may not be able to hear their trainer's voice and lose control. It can end up with your Pokémon defeating itself. The cures are to either hope it survives the confusion or a Persim Berry."

Ash winced as he watched Roggenrola charge into the wall. He remembered the final fight against the Pyramid King and how hard he tried to make his first Grass Type come to its senses. But there was no way Hilda was going to go the extra mile, not yet. So Ash could only lean back while Pikachu began to cheer even harder.

Hearing Pikachu's frantic cheering made Hilda calm down slightly but she was still worried as Roggenrola kept slamming into the wall, even knocking its head against the floor at times. She called out to it several times but it was no use. "Roggenrola! Please! Rock Blast!"

Roggenrola stopped moving, seeming to have heard the command. Hilda let out a sigh of relief as Roggenrola's core began to glow. Watchog braced itself for the impact, before becoming lax. Hilda noticed and was confused before looking back at Roggenrola, who was now aiming directly above him. Three rock blasts were fired directly up, two colliding and the third falling straight back down.

Ash knew that if he was in the trainer box, he would have ran over and shielded Roggenrola, but since he wasn't he could only watch as the Rock Blast, slightly powered up from the acceleration due to gravity, made contact with Roggenrola.

Hilda however couldn't watch and looked away while closing her eyes and heard the sound of the collision between Roggenrola and the Rock Blast. "Roggenrola is unable to battle." Hilda's eyes snapped open at Lenora's voice and looked back at her Roggenrola, who was lying on the ground unconscious, a small indent in the ground.

Hilda silently returned Roggenrola and placed his Poké Ball near her heart. "Thank you. You were incredible." Placing Roggenrola's Poké Ball into her bag, she pulled out another and took a deep breath.

"Normal Types are much more diverse than other Pokémon. They have so many different ways of attacking, they're the best for testing trainers." Lenora outstretched her arms. "That was your first Pokémon, now show me what else you got!"

Hilda nodded firmly before tossing a Poké Ball which opened and revealed Gothita. Ash became slightly concerned as he knew Watchog has Crunch which was a Dark Type move but at the same time Ash knew types weren't everything. "Psybeam!" Hilda wasted no time calling the attack and Gothita's hand glowed before firing a purple-coloured beam straight at Watchog.

Lenora watched on calmly. "A bit slow." Watchog began running towards Gothita, avoiding the incoming Psybeam. "Crunch."

Baring its fangs, Watchog started running faster towards Gothita. "Keep firing, but prepare to cry!" Lenora raised a brow and began attempting to decipher the meaning out of Hilda's command. Gothita continued firing Psybeams at Watchog, each Watchog was able to evade. Lenora snapped her fingers when she finally understood.

"I see now. Trying to be strategic. I'm afraid I've seen it all dear. Close the gap Watchog." Watchog, who was still avoiding the incoming Psybeams, gained a sudden burst of speed and got close and bit down hard on Gothita's head before Gothita could react.

"Confusion, Gothita!" Hilda shouted, hoping Gothita would be able to get Watchog off her.

"Shake." Watchog began to shake Gothita while still biting her. "You see dear, a Psychic Types power comes from their mind. Watchog has disrupted your Gothita's concentration. It would be for the best if you recall Gothita."

Hilda gulped and did all that she could to not turn to Ash for advice. She gripped Gothita's Poké Ball and returned her. "…Does that mean I lose?"

Lenora blinked before laughing lightly. "Of course not! This is a two on five match, remember? And your Gothita isn't knocked out, so you can use her later."

Hilda nodded and tossed out another Poké Ball, this time Pansear appearing with a flip. "Flame Burst!" Pansear wasted no time firing a bursting flame straight at Watchog, who dodged the attack in a similar fashion to how it dodged Gothita's Psybeams.

"Hypnosis!" With glowing eyes, circles of psychic energy appeared and were about to hit Pansear.

"Acrobatics!" Hilda called immediately. Pansear started moving nimbly towards Watchog, staying out of its line of sight and once he drew near, struck Watchog hard with a punch. Watchog staggered back, as Pansear hit the bruise Roggenrola had created earlier.

Lenora clapped her hands. "That was quite the manoeuver. I don't think Watchog stands a chance against that Pansear. So, Work Up, Watchog."

"Did…Watchog knew Work Up when we fought it?" Ash asked Pikachu who shook his head. "Then…did she teach her Watchog that? Or is it a completely different one?"

"Pansear, quickly! Flame Burst!" Being closer than before, Pansear's Flame Burst his Watchog directly in the chest, making it skid backwards. "Now-"

"Baton Pass!" Lenora called urgently, and with a glow, Watchog was sent back into its Poké Ball. Hilda only watched in surprise as another Pokémon appeared. In Watchog's place was a grey chinchilla-like Pokémon with big ears and long fur that acted like a scarf. Ash and Hilda quickly pulled out their Pokédex's.

 _Cinccino. The Scarf Pokémon. Cinccino is a Normal Type Pokémon. Cinccino's body is coated in a special oil that helps it deflect attacks, such as punches._

 _Baton Pass: The user switches places with a party Pokémon in waiting, passing along any stat changes._

"Wait so that means…"

"Cinccino has the buffs that Watchog gave itself before it switched out with Baton Pass." Lenora finished with a smirk. "This is a true strategy."

Hilda would normally be in awe at the beautiful, cure Pokémon if it wasn't for the aura of power it exuded. "Oil, huh?" Hilda mumbled, looking back at her Pokédex before pocketing it. If Lenora wanted strategy, then she'll give it to her. "Acrobatics!" Pansear struck at Cinccino but was easily deflected by its scarf. To Hilda's surprise, Pansear was sent flying across the battlefield.

"Your Roggenrola used this attack earlier, Rock Blast!" Materializing large rocks out of thin air, Cinccino fired the rocks at the recovering Pansear.

Outstretching her arm, Hilda called out "Acrobatics to dodge!" Since Pansear was so close to the battlefield wall, he jumped up avoiding the first rock and wall-jumped off the wall to avoid the second before cartwheeling to avoid the third and began running towards Cinccino. Hilda wants Pansear to get close, but she knows it won't be that easy.

"Iron Tail the ground." Cinccino slammed its scarf into the ground causing the battlefield to shake and stopping Pansear from advancing.

"Flame Burst!" Hilda commanded Pansear to retaliate and he did, but Cinccino avoided the Flame Burst with a slightly panicked look on its face. "Need to get even closer…"

"Rock Blast." Cinccino quickly recomposed itself and fired a rock straight at Pansear, whose eyes widened as the rock that was just as big as him hit him square in the stomach and sent him flying.

He flew past Hilda where time seemed to slow down for him. He saw every detail of her expression.

The worry. The tears. The moving lips.

Before pain erupted and he crashed into the wall.

This time, Hilda didn't waste any second to run up to Pansear and pull him out from behind the rock. Pansear was still conscious it seemed but for how long was anyone's guess. "Are you all right? Pansear?"

Pansear stared at Hilda for a second before nodding, his eyes no longer half-closed like Hilda was used to. Pansear got out of Hilda's arms and stared straight back at Cinccino. Pansear half-turned to Hilda, indicating he was awaiting her order. Hilda was shocked but nodded quickly. "Flame Burst, but try and make it a spread shot!" Pansear nodded and with his tuft slightly glowing red, fired three bursting flames towards Cinccino.

"Tail Slap the ground!" Cinccino once again slammed the battlefield with its scarf, this time using a piece of the battlefield to deflect the flames. When the rubble was destroyed, Lenora and Cinccino were surprised to see Pansear running straight towards Cinccino. "Rock Blast!"

"Acrobatics and Flame Burst!" Cartwheeling and spewing bursting flames, Pansear's attacks were extremely sporadic and prevented Cinccino from attacking him as Cinccino focused on its defenses.

Pansear everntually managed to get close to Cinccino and leapt upon it, gripping onto its scarf. Lenora however wasn't having any of that. "Tail Slap it off you!" Using said scarf, Cinccino began hitting Pansear extremely hard.

"Hang in there Pansear! Keep using Flame Burst!" For the first time, Pansear managed to land several direct hits with Flame Burst and Cinccino only squealed in pain as its entire body was engulfed in flames.

Lenora gritted her teeth and shouted "Get it off you and roll!" Cinccino increased the speed of its Tail Slaps while Pansear continued using Flame Burst, holding on for dear life while his tuft continued to glow brighter. It was a matter of endurance at this point, though with the extra boost from Watchog, Cinccino had the clear power advantage.

Or so they thought.

Ash stared at Pansear, whose tuft wasn't the only part of Pansear glowing. Rather Pansear's entire body started to glow a bright red. Ash stood up and leaned forwards, gripping the rails in front of the bleachers as he watched in anticipation for the climax.

The sounds of fire exploding on contact and slaps were the only thing heard on the battlefield while Hilda and Lenora watched on. Lenora was surprised that still Pansear was able to hang on to Cinccino despite receiving so many direct hits. Until it hit her.

"Has Cinccino been hitting Pansear's head!?" Squinting, Lenora noticed Pansear moving its head wherever Cinccino's scarves are going to slap, and since Pansear tufts can reach up to 600 degrees F, Pansear's head was basically an attack of its own. "Forget it Cinccino, roll!" Cinccino hesitated however, and Hilda took seize of the opportunity.

"Come on Pansear, one big Flame Burst!" Hilda shouted and Pansear responded in kind, giving a loud cry before his body was now glowing an extreme bright red, releasing an extremely large flame at the chinchilla, resulting in an explosion of hot air that filled the entire stadium.

Pikachu, who was on Ash's shoulder was blown back with Ash's hat while Ash only gripped the rail harder as he stared in amazement. "That…was Overheat? Or Blaze?"

Hilda and Lenora were both forced to cover their faces with their arms until the smoke dissipated. On the battlefield, laying on the ground unconscious was Cinccino. Standing up, glowing but panting heavily was Pansear.

Lenora blinked before running a hand through her hair while returning Cinccino. "I must say, I didn't see that coming."

Hilda grinned as she cheered. "That was great Pansear! I don't know what you just did, but I couldn't be happier!" Hearing Hilda's excited voice made Pansear close his eyes and think about what he just did and why he did what he did. He didn't even notice Hilda returning him to his Poké Ball. "Thank you again."

"Don't forget, you still have one more Pokémon to defeat, dear," Lenora reminded before tossing a Poké Ball into the air revealing Watchog who was clearly exhausted after fighting three Pokémon.

Hilda gained a surge of confidence thanks to Pansear's show and gripped Gothita's Poké Ball. "I didn't forget. But this battle is as good as mine! There's no way I'm letting Pansear's efforts go to waste!" Gothita appeared out of her Poké Ball and when Watchog glared at her, Gothita returned the glare with an even more menacing one. Wasting no time, Hilda called out an attack "Psybeam!"

Gothita fired a psychic beam straight at Watchog who avoided it and started running straight towards Gothita. "Hypnosis!" Eyes glowing, Watchog attempted to make Gothita fall asleep.

Hilda knew Gothita wouldn't be able to run away from Watchog, so she could only think of another way to avoid the attack. "Confusion on yourself! Levitate!" Hilda shouted. Gothita stared at her trainer, surprised, before doing as told and lifting herself into the air. Hilda grinned at Gothita's levitation while Watchog could only stare.

"Jump and use Crunch," Lenora called out. Bending its knees, Watchog suddenly leapt into the air with speed and opened its mouth.

"Psybeam!" Hilda quickly reacted to Lenora's command. Gothita's hand glowed before firing a beam at Watchog. As Gothita used Psybeam however, she fell straight to the ground making the Psybeam miss its mark. "Gothita! Are you all right?"

Gothita stood up and winced before puffing her chest out to prove she was fine. Watchog, who also missed his attack due to Gothita falling, landed perfectly fine in front of Gothita. Seeing how close they were, Hilda had two options. "Fake Tears!" Gothita immediately started bawling making Watchog hesitate and take a step backwards.

"Don't be fooled!" Lenora's voice made Watchog nod and glare…before suddenly bursting into laughter. Lenora's eye twitched as she kept calling out commands. "Watchog! Crunch! Hypnosis! Iron Tail!"

Eventually Watchog was able to smack Gothita away and get out of Gothita's Tickle attack, but it was too late as soon it was struck directly in the chest, the bruise given by Roggenrola, by Psybeam.

There was silence until a sigh broke it. Lenora returned her Watchog and placed a hand on her forehead. "'I'm afraid I've seen it all' I said…Hah…" Lenora then quickly grew a big, proud smile. "You exceeded my expectations greatly! Here I thought your friends talked you up, but I see their words are true. Congratulations Hilda. You are the winner."

Hilda took a second to let the words register before hugging her Gothita. "Thank you Gothita! You were amazing!"

"It's quite hot down here, why don't I reward you upstairs?" Lenora proposed and soon the two left the battlefield, leaving Ash in the bleachers.

Ash released the railing and fell backwards onto a bleacher. He wiped the sweat off his forehead and stared at the battlefield until Pikachu came into view wearing his hat. Laughing, Ash scratched Pikachu's back just the way he liked it, making him let out a 'cha'. "Hilda's getting pretty good, huh? But Pansear…what was that? I'd assume Overheat since Pansear was exhausted after using that attack but he was still glowing." Ash stood up suddenly and stretched. "Eh, I can think about it later. Come on Pikachu! Hilda probably got her badge already!" Pikachu jumped onto Ash's shoulder, throwing his hat in the air for him to catch. Ash grabbed his bag and the two egg capsules and quickly walked up the stairs, out of the battlefield.

As Ash walked up the stairs, he saw Hilda placing the Basic Badge into her trainer case. "Oh whoops! Did we leave you behind? Sorry Ash!" Hilda apologized and took her egg from Ash, who just waved his hand.

"No worries, I know how easily it is to get carried away once you win a badge," Ash said and the two women laughed.

"I suppose you two will be heading to Castelia City then?" Lenora asked and the two trainers nodded. "You will have to go north through the Pinwheel Forest then cross the Skyarrow Bridge. I suggest stopping by a town near the bridge, Luxuria Town I believe."

Ash nodded and Hilda bowed. "Will do! Thank you Ms. Lenora!"

Lenora laughed and shook her head. "If there's anyone who's grateful, it's me. You two are welcome here anytime, y'hear?" With that, the two trainers left the gym and returned to the Pokémon Center.

* * *

"This is quite something! Your eggs are suddenly getting close to hatching!" Nurse Joy exclaimed while examining the two trainers' eggs.

It had been an hour since Hilda's Gym Battle and they decided to get one final checkup for their eggs. "Really!?" Hilda asked, surprise and excitement in her voice.

"They were exposed to hot air recently it seems. Do either of you have a Pokémon with Flame Body?" Nurse Joy asked and the two shook their heads. Hilda mentioned the attack Pansear pulled off during the battle. "That must have been quite the attack to get through the glass of the capsule." Nurse Joy praised and Hilda rubbed the back of her head sheepishly.

"So, how long do we have to wait?" Hilda asked.

"Not long, I can say that! I don't think you'll be out of the forest by the time they hatch!" Nurse Joy exclaimed making Hilda even more excited.

With that information, the two bid farewell to the Nacrene Nurse Joy who they got to know over the past few days and went to a restaurant to eat. Ash noticed Hilda eating slightly faster than usual with a big smile on her face. Ash would have pointed it out, but he didn't want to bring up the events at Wellspring Cave so he just focused on his own food, glancing at Hilda's beaming face every so often.

"So Luxuria Town," Ash started. "Anything of note there?"

Hilda swallowed her food before shrugging. She pulled out their map and found the town. "…Not really. Just a Battle Club."

Ash nodded. "Perfect. Once we finish our training in the forest, we can test ourselves there."

"Huh? Training?"

Ash nodded once again. "Of course. I need to work on Oshawott's Aqua Jet. I even transferred a Pokémon from back home to help."

Hilda put a finger to her chin. "Hm, I'd love to train Pansear but…I don't think it's a good idea to do that in the forest."

Ash sweat dropped. "Probably not."

Hilda clapped her hands "Ah I know! I can work on Gothita's levitation! It'd be great if she could levitate and attack at the same time!"

Ash nodded. "Sounds good, Munna could help out too!"

* * *

"Buizel, come on out!" Ash tossed a Poké Ball and out appeared an orange weasel Pokémon with an inflatable yellow collar, two blue fins, and a split tail. Buizel crossed his arms and gave a smirk as he looked at Ash. "It's been some time, huh Buizel? I want you to meet my new partners!" Ash gestured to Hilda and all their new Pokémon, who all greeted Buizel with cheers and Buizel responded with a cool nod.

 _Buizel. The Sea Weasel Pokémon. Buizel is a Water Type Pokémon. It spins its two tails like a screw to propel itself through water. The tails also slice clinging seaweed._

Hilda pocketed her Pokédex and stared in amazement. "Wow, he looks so cool!"

Buizel only let his smirk grow with that comment and Ash knelt down to pat him on the back. "You won't meet another Pokémon who likes battling more than him!"

Hilda laughed. "So I take it Buizel is going to help Oshawott with his Aqua Jet?" Ash had already described Oshawott's problem when he told Hilda everything that transpired while she was in the hospital.

Ash nodded and gestured over to Oshawott. "Oshawott, Buizel is going to help you train to use Aqua Jet, all right?" While Ash's smile was comforting, Buizel's smirk made Oshawott uncomfortable and inferior. Oshawott turned around and crossed his arms, surprising Ash. "Huh? What's wrong Oshawott?" Buizel this time dropped the smirk and tilted his head.

Oshawott glared at Buizel before walking off with an arrogant attitude, making Ash frown. "Don't tell me you don't want Buizel's help. Oshawott, Buizel is the perfect Pokémon to help! He could even help you gain power in your attacks!" Oshawott glared, as if Ash was claiming Oshawott was weak. Ash seemed to understand Oshawott and tried to reason. "Oshawott, there's always room for improvement, and Buizel's just the Pokémon to help out!" Oshawott simply turned his head with a 'hmph' gesture. Ash and Buizel simultaneously scratched their heads while looking at each other.

Hilda, who watched the entire display walked over to her own Oshawott. Unlike Ash, she saw a small spark between the two sea otters. "Hey Oshawott, think you can convince Oshawott to train with Buizel?" Hilda's Oshawott nodded and walked over to Ash's stubborn Oshawott.

They all watched as Hilda's Oshawott spoke to Ash's and eventually the two walked over to the trainers. Ash's Oshawott grabbed his scalchop and pointed it at Buizel. "You want to battle Buizel?" Ash asked before turning to Buizel. "Well? What do you say?"

Buizel gave an enthusiastic nod as he entered a battle stance. Ash turned to his Oshawott. "Don't hold back Oshawott." With that, Ash and Hilda walked over to the other Pokémon, Hilda's Oshawott staying to watch the two Water Types duel.

"Munna, you think you can help Gothita learn how to levitate and attack? I guess, split her focus?"

Hilda looked at Ash curiously. "You sound unsure."

Ash rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "I've never owned a Psychic Type before." Munna nodded and floated over to Gothita, who unlike Ash's Oshawott, fully accepted the training.

"You know, my mom always said Pokémon tend to act like their trainers. I think Oshawott gained that stubbornness from you," Hilda teased, making Ash chuckle.

"A friend once said the exact same thing a long time ago. Anyways, Pikachu, Pidove, why don't you two work on hitting each other and dodging…but try and limit your thunderbolts Pikachu."

"Actually, Ash…" Hilda started making Ash turn to her. "…Can Purrloin train with Pidove? I'd like for her to learn how to hit airborne Pokémon."

Ash blinked before nodding enthusiastically. "That sounds good! Change of plans Pidove, you'll be training with Purrloin. Pikachu…you're on egg guarding duty." At that Pikachu's expression died and his airs drooped, making Ash sweat drop. "Hey, it won't be long since they're hatching soon. Besides, when was the last time we owned an egg?"

Remembering his long-nosed friend from Johto, Pikachu perked up and ran over to the two eggs. Ash chuckled before turning to Hilda who was issuing training orders to her other Pokémon. "Roggenrola, speed isn't your strong suit so let's focus on defending and counterattacking. Pansear, you're just going to go in and get out quickly."

Ash decided to go back to where Oshawott and Buizel were battling and saw Oshawott let down his guard and get blasted by Buizel's powerful Water Gun. Ash quickly ran and caught Oshawott before he hit a tree and fainted. "Phew, that was a close one." Oshawott opened his eyes, expecting pain but only saw Ash's smile. "Well? What do you think of Buizel?"

Oshawott turned to Buizel who was approaching them and jumped out of Ash's arms. He stared at Buizel before bowing down, surprising both Ash and Buizel. Ash smiled and looked at Buizel. "I guess you got yourself an apprentice!" Ash laughed and patted Oshawott on the head. "His Aqua Jet needs a bit of work. He also closes his eyes when he uses it, so I'm counting on you." Buizel nodded and started to give orders to Oshawott, who nodded and was listening intently.

"Hey Hilda!" Ash called out to his companion who was staring at Purrloin and Pidove. "We got to do some training too!"

Hilda blinked. "What?"

"Don't tell me you plan on only letting your Pokémon get stronger? Come on, ten laps around this field!"

"What!?"

* * *

Hilda groaned as she sat down next to the eggs and Pikachu. Pikachu patted her shoulder making Hilda sigh. "Thanks Pikachu. That trainer of yours…sure is something." Hilda sighed before something glowing caught her eye.

* * *

Ash gulped down a canteen of water as he watched Buizel and Oshawott spar; Razor Shell vs Ice Punch. According to Buizel, Oshawott got the hang of Aqua Jet but still needs some more training. "Oshawott, watch your right side! ...No don't abandon your left side defense!" Ash furrowed his brow as he tried to think of a way Oshawott could be better with Razor Shell. Ash recalled the Dewott a trainer had from a while back and how it had two scalchop. "If Oshawott were to evolve…but what if he doesn't want to? Ah I'll worry about that when it happens."

Suddenly, Ash heard Pikachu running and shouting towards him. "Hm? What's up Pikachu?" Ash asked and Pikachu started to explain, making Ash's eyes widen and run off.

The two egg containers were glowing simultaneously, surprising Ash. "They're both gonna hatch!?"

"So this is what happens when they're about to hatch," Hilda noted.

"…Ah! Take them out of the containers! Make sure they only see you when they hatch!" Hearing Ash's panicked voice made Hilda panic.

"Wh-what? Uh, how do I do that?"

"The button at the bottom!"

It wasn't long before the eggs rested on Ash and Hilda's lap as they and their Pokémon waited in anticipation for the grand reveal. "It's odd that they're hatching at the same time," Hilda said.

"Yeah, the daycare owners must have known," Ash said and before long the eggs glowed a bright light nearly blinding the two before the two Pokémon were revealed.

On Ash's lap, was a yellow and cream lizard-like Pokémon with yellow skin around its legs. On Hilda's lap was a small avian Pokémon with a blue body and a large white plume of feathers that covers its head.

Hilda gave her Pokémon a motherly smile and whispered "Hey there little guy." Ash just smiled and rubbed the head of his Pokémon. The two Pokémon then looked at each other, then the other's trainer, before back at their own trainer. Hilda's Pokémon immediately rubbed his head against her in an affectionate manner while Ash's just stared at him while Ash continued to pet him.

"I think they're good now," Ash whispered and Pikachu jumped onto Ash's shoulder while Hilda's Oshawott walked next to her. The two baby Pokémon stared at Pikachu and Oshawott. Before suddenly attacking them with a Headbutt and a Peck.

Ash and Hilda could only blink as Pikachu was knocked off Ash's shoulder and Oshawott rolled back. The two baby Pokémon turned around and stared at the rest of the Pokémon before going on the assault.

Ash placed a hand on his forehead while Hilda tilted her head and stared in wonder. "Just great…"

* * *

 **HAPPY NEW YEAR! It's 2017 now!**

 **Sorry for how long this took, same old excuse: I've been given lots of tasks, assignments, projects, and homework that this year has been very stressful. And I'm only halfway through. Any spare time I had I play video games to relax (finally 100% Xenoblade X if anyone actually cares). I forgot how much fun it is to write, this story in particular.**

 **I know it's disappointing since you've all waited so long but regardless I hope you enjoyed it. Let me know what you think/expect/want.**

\- **Some things I want to point out, Luxuria Town in the anime was between Striaton and Nacrene but I moved it to between Nacrene and Skyarrow Bridge.**

\- **The move Pikachu used to knock out Virizion was from the episode where Ash vs May, or at least the appeal round.**

 **Team Rocket! Remember them? Yeah, I forgot to include them in recent chapters but oh well. And the Team Rocket trio we know are still around.**

 **Here's a refresher for their teams:**

Ash:

Pikachu, Oshawott, Munna, Pidove, Buizel, Scraggy

Hilda:

Oshawott, Gothita, Purrloin, Pansear, Roggenrola, Rufflet

With Juniper:

Tepig, Snivy  
Herdier

 **Anyways, I hope you guys had a great Christmas! I know I did!**

 **Here are my replies to reviews!**

 **Ayush:** **Thank you! I'll go back and change the Tepig fight one day, since that's been a complaint. Just not soon because I don't see it as that big of a deal.**

 **Yeah, about that, catching a Pokémon is all luck. It may have taken you 30 Ultra Balls or Dusk Balls with low HP and status ailments, but some people catch them at full HP with a Luxury ball or something. Everyone has different experiences and it really ends up being if you're lucky or not. Search Groudon in a Nest Ball for the biggest example of this (and if you do, I apologize for your ears). That, and the anime makes catching Pokémon seem really easy. I do understand I made Hilda overpowered, but her confidence needed to build somehow and what better way than a fight with a Legendary? :P Thank you again!**

 **Server lock:** **It's not "highly implied." There's actually zero evidence of this. Anime, and to an extent the manga, yes. Team Rocket created Mewtwo. Games? Nope. And why is cloning a Pokémon considered "evil" and Team Rocket are the only people who can do that? Curious scientists can also do that. I'm not going to get too into this because it's all opinion, speculation, and theories so if you want to believe it, I respect that. I just personally don't think so with the lack of evidence.**

 **Perhaps I'll look into Gurren Lagann when I have the time then!**

 **Ash will definitely use the Moonstone. I am not letting him give it to someone else like he's done fifty times before (exaggeration).**

 **Does the forest getting on fire and sweet battles not count as 'something to happen' :P I wouldn't count it as filler per se but I do get what you mean. As for training being amusing, yeah if done right. Which I don't think I can do yet. Writing training scenes is kind of difficult for me because it just ends up** ** _boring._**

 **Anyways, sorry for that! Thanks again!**

 **Pokemon fan:** **They first need to figure out their feelings before they confess but that should be soon! Thank you!**

 **Guest:** **Thank you!**

 **Sheanon13:** **Mienfoo is an idea. Blitzle and Axew, probably not (I love Blitzle too).**

 **Beta117:** **This is a highly amusing comment to me.**


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